Locked In (originally Nine-tailed Maelstrom)
by queenofallthingsrandom
Summary: Naruto's seal malfunctions and results in a merging of himself and the Kurama. Konoha then chases Naruto into the arms of the Akatsuki or, more importantly, into Itachi's. How will this effect the events that were to play in the future of Konoha? Sasuke bashing, Sakura bashing, council bashing, general Konoha bashing. Yaoi. Don't like, don't read. M just in case…
1. Obligations

Author's note: This is my first ever fic (yay) and I would love to hear collective criticism and I don't mind if people want to give me ways to make my writing better, but don't be a jerk about it. Sorry if it's not what was expected but I'm trying and it will get a LOT better.

I own nothing.

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(Sasuke POV)

I still can't believe every thing that's happened.

Naruto beat Gaara. He succeeded where I failed, proving that he managed to become more powerful than me. The only thing that didn't make sense… was the nine tailed fox. I know what I saw, and Naruto was fighting Gaara with the nine tailed fox, which can only mean that the demon didn't die. But why would it ever work with someone like Naruto?

Wait.

Gaara is some sort of host for a demon in his village, so Naruto could be…

Naruto could be the fox demon. Of course, The only person I ever could've respected turns out to be a demonic monster, just like that freak who killed my family.

If I ever want to succeed in killing _him_ , I need to at least be able to defeat Naruto.

Why does this happen? I actually find someone I think is different, and then they end up being monsters. I'm so tired of everyone in this world. They're useless. People are a disease, and they manage to corrupt all that could've been. They tear apart all of the good, the innocence, and the purity that could save them. Human beings are despicable, worthless creatures that are barely good enough to serve as toys. It's only fair for me to use them as pawns. It's a shame, though; having to use trash for pieces.

* * *

(3rd person)

Deep in the forest, there was a fox in a tree. The animal had been trapped since he climbed up there trying to escape an attack. It seemed to be barely holding onto the branch, and, after a few moments of trying to get down safely, it fell. Before it could hit the ground, it was saved from the 20 ft fall. A raven caught it and gently set the small creature down on the ground.

(Naruto POV)

I woke up on the ground.

That's right. I collapsed during training last night. That's been happening a lot lately since the old man passed away. It's not like it's my fault, though. I just need to get stronger to protect the people I care about. I lost the first person who accepted me, so I guess that it's natural for me to be thinking like this… I've never really thought about how easy it would be for my friends to die. They could be gone tomorrow, and I don't like to think about it.

On the topic of long friends, Sakura told me that Sasuke's been acting weird. From what Sakura's been telling me, Sasuke's being even more of a bastard than usual. He doesn't talk to anyone, even if they talk to him first, he's been hostile towards anything that moves and breathes, and he refuses to leave the Uchiha compound unless someone drags him outside. I think it might have something to do with the invasion of Konoha.

Oh, well. Sakura told me to talk to him for her, so I can just find out from him why he's being an idiot.

I got up and started running. On the way, I swear I saw a fox and raven together. They weren't even fighting. That's so weird. I thought that those two animals were supposed to be enemies…

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Quote of the day:

"You don't need a license to drive a sandwich."

-Spongebob Squarepants movie


	2. Confrontations

Author's note: I'm on an extreme sugar rush from all the candy I've been stealing from my sister and her friend, so I just decided to post a longer chapter that took a little while to write. Tell me if there are any errors, things you'd like to see changed, or parts you didn't like. I will fix them. Don't question the random POV's, it was easier to write them like that. Please review. I like to feel popular. But don't be mean! I'm trying. Also I think I might be coming down from my sugar high, but I'll make it through the rest of the chapter.

(Naruto POV)

I found Sasuke almost immediately and, out of curiosity, decided to watch what he was doing.

He was talking to Ayame, and whatever he said seemed to upset her. A lot.

She slapped him straight in the face, and yelled for him to leave. I was confused; Ayame never resorted to violence. I decided to talk to her before confronting Sasuke. Maybe whatever he told her has to do with his recent attitude change.

I entered the small shop and was met with a flustered Ayame.

"Hey, Naruto. You want your usual?" She asked, trying and failing to try and sound casual.

"Nah. I was just wondering, what were you and Sasuke talking about a minute ago?"

"Just random things," she muttered, "and… Well, he was asking about you."

"Why? And, why'd you hit him?"

"Naruto… If you want to know, maybe you should go and talk to him. I should tell you, you won't be happy with what he's going to say. You'd probably be better off staying away from him, but I know that you're not that kind of person. I'll let you decide what to do. As much as I don't want you to get hurt, I think it would be worse if you wait for him to find you. Just know that whatever happens, my father and I will be here for you. Now go and talk to him." Ayame ordered, shooing me away.

I turned to leave only to be stopped by her voice.

"Naruto!"

I turned to look at her.

"Just… stay safe, ok?"

"You know me! I might get scratched up, but I'll live." I assured her, smiling a little.

I wonder why she's freaking out so much…

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(Sasuke POV)

I had looked all over for Naruto, without success. I checked Ichiraku's all of the training grounds, his apartment, and even asked the pink-haired banshee. I was about to give up for today, when I sensed his chakra nearby. Perfect; he came to me.

"Sasuke!" he called.

I didn't respond.

"What were you and Ayame-chan talking about earlier?"

"You. " I answered, simply.

"What about me?"

"Why does it matter?"

Naruto sighed. "You haven't been acting like yourself, lately, Sasuke."

"Why does that matter?"

"It matters because you're making your friends worry. None of us want you to be devoured by the curse seal. It's doing things to your head. This isn't you. The Sasuke I know couldn't hurt the people that care about him. Sakura was-" He started, only to be cut off by me.

"Sakura doesn't care about me, she's just some crazed fangirl who believes that she can make people care about her if she pretends to be someone else. She never held any genuine emotion for me. If I looked any different, or if I had another name, Sakura wouldn't even notice me, even if nothing else changed. She's a despicable, rotten, beast."

"No, she's not! Sakura isn't like that! If you can honesty say something like that about your own teammate, then that seal has really destroyed your brain."

"Why can't you see it? Are you that stupid? This isn't the seal, it's me. These are my thoughts and my actions that you so desperately want to blame on anything other than your 'precious teammate.' I've always been like this. You just made it more apparent." Every word was laced with venom.

"You're more than my teammate, you're my friend."

"Naruto, we are not, nor will we ever be, friends. I don't like you. It would be safe to say that I hate you. I want you out of my way. You've been the sat bit of nonsense in my life that I refuse to tolerate."

I was getting to him now.

"No matter what you say, I won't give up on you. Even if you hate me, I promise to never turn on you." His eyes were darker than usual, and his usual smile was gone. The fact that I'd just told him I hated him had no other noticeable effects.

"Meet me at our old training ground tomorrow morning." I muttered, before sprinting away.

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(The next morning)

Naruto POV

Ayame was right. I would've been better off avoiding Sasuke. I guess I shouldn't be too upset; he's just another person who hates me. I just thought it could be different. Sasuke was one of the first people who didn't automatically hate me. He treated me like I was normal. Like I wasn't a demon. If he hates me already, without knowing the truth, I wonder what would happen if he ever found out. I wonder if anyone would still like me…

I made it to the training grounds early. I remembered all of the times we trained here. We became a team here, after passing Kakashi's impossible test. We've come a long way from there.

"Feeling nostalgic?" Sasuke asked, appearing behind me.

"Why are we here, Sasuke ?" I growled, ignoring his question.

"I challenge you to a duel. No skills are off limits. Killing is prohibited. If I win, you leave konoha for good. If you win, I'll go back to acting like myself." He explained with a smirk. "Do you accept?"

I took a moment to think about it, before answering. I don't want him to go back to acting ike himself. It's weird, but… He would just be acting.

"I accept, on one condition." I decided.

He raised his eyebrow again.

"If I win, you tell me what made you start acting like this, and you let me and your friends help you through it."

"Agreed," He said, "We start… now!"

Sasuke lunged forward, and I narrowly dodged an attack from his kunai. He swept my legs out from under me, and I threw three kunai at him. While he was dodging, I had time to get up and jump away from him. I was at a huge disadvantage. He seemed to be willing to kill me, while I didn't want to hurt him. This fight was going to be nearly impossible for me to win…

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me: Whatcha think?

Person: *throws elephant at me*

me: Well… Rude… Anyway, quote of the day:

"I think that gay marriage should be between a man and a woman."


	3. Definitions

Author's note: I have no ice what I'm doing, but in my sugar fueled haze, I've decided to write and post another chapter before midnight. If I can do this, than I can get the DeLorean up to 88 miles per hour. Review to keep me happy, but don't be mean to me. "I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection." TRY TO TELL ME IN THE REVIEWS WHAT THOSE LAST TWO REFERENCES WERE FROM! If you're older than 25, it should be unbelievably easy.

Naruto POV

Sasuke was aiming to kill. He tried to hit me with his chidori. Luckily, he hit one of my clones, but it was too close a call. I need to be more careful.

I made a few shadow clones and sent them after Sasuke, trying to buy myself time. He quickly dispelled all but one, and I briefly wondered what Sasuke was planning, before he charged straight at me, kunai in hand.

I jumped out of the way, and pulled out my own kunai. As Sasuke stumbled forward from the force of his last attack, I stabbed the kunai into his shoulder. It wouldn't kill him, and it would help me live. Before I was able to pat myself on the back for my work, "Sasuke" disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Before I knew what was happening, my clone was right in front of me, chidori in hand. Suddenly, the clone's hand was in the middle of my chest. My vision was blurring, my ears were ringing, and there was a giant hole in my chest. It was agonizing. A voice in the back of my head kept saying something about releasing the seal, and it promised that the pain would go away. I didn't know what to do. An orange blob turned into a blue blob in front of me, and then I ripped a paper with writing on it off of a cage, and everything went red.

* * *

Sasuke POV

My plan was brilliant. I disguised myself as one of Naruto's clones, and replaced myself with a clone. While the clone distracted him, I would get a chidori ready and attack. It was so stupid of Naruto to agree to fight me at the place and time of my choosing. I obviously had a plan. I was about to check him for a pulse when he started moving.

Could it be that he was still awake? It was impossible. Even if he survived the attack, he should be out cold for at least a week.

Naruto got onto his knees and slowy started to stand.

Sasuke was frozen from shock.

"What are you?" I asked, horrified.

Naruto lifted his head up, and, again, Sasuke was frozen in shock. Naruto's eyes were their usual sapphire blue color, but at they were surrounded by a thin glowing blood red ring.

Naruto smirked at me. It was horrifying. He was radiating power, anger, and hatred. For the first time, I was deathly scared of Naruto.

He disappeared for a second and then reappeared behind me to deliver a kick to my back that sent me flying. Before I hit the ground, Naruto appeared in front of me and kneed me in the stomach, sending me flying into the air. Naruto was behind me in the air, and he kicked me in the back again, sending me hurtling towards the ground at an alarming rate. I hit the ground HARD, and then Naruto landed on top of me. he got off, allowing me the chance to stand, which took some effort. As soon as I was standing, hundreds of kunai were flying at me from every direction, and I couldn't dodge them.

"You win, Naruto!" I yelled. I was bleeding from various cuts all over, and I was almost positive that I had a few broken ribs. I couldn't win.

The red rings around his eyes disappeared, and he looked like he was about to pass out.

* * *

Naruto POV

"You win, Naruto!" It was Sasuke's voice. I didn't know what was happening, but Sasuke's voice sounded desperate. Whatever was going on, I needed to wake up.

I opened my eyes to see a severely injured Sasuke looking at me fearfully.

"You're a monster." He whispered before running off.

A monster? _Sasuke_ thinks that I'm a monster? Of course. Everyone does.

I felt my knees buckle under me and I fell, as my vision went black

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To Ezakike: thank you for letting me write this. I will write the next chapter based on your specifications.

Everyone else: Don't throw elephants at me.


	4. Definitions part 2

Author's note: Dear reader, Please note that everything that happens in this chapter is vital to the story. It is amazing, and it is for an adorable cause in the future. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, unitato. On a separate note, I haven't been doing a proper disclaimer, so I hope I don't get sued. Don't be mean about my writing, I wrote chapters 2, 3, and 4 in one day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or unitatoes.

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Naruto POV

I regained consciousness slowly, and remembered the events of the previous day.

 _You're a monster_

 _I hate you_

 _This village would be better of without you_

Maybe he's right. Maybe I should just leave. But…

I can't. that would be giving up, and I didn't come all this way just to give up now. I will keep on going until I become hokage, and I'll lead the village to peace. I opened my eyes and shot up. The first thing that I noticed was that I was on all fours. The second was that I was really close to the ground. I looked down at where my hands would've been only to find paws and orange fur. I wandered over to the lake by the training ground and metally gasped at my reflection. I was a fox.

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(Meanwhile, with sasuke)

Sasuke POV (duh)

I stood before Konoha's council with my many wounds. I had just barged in on some sort of a meeting.

"Uchiha. What is the meaning of this?" One of the council members asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto attacked me. He is a danger to Konoha and anyone around him." I announced.

A few of them looked shocked, while others looked almost happy.

"Was he provoked?"

"No." I said glaring at the one who'd suggested it.

"Are you sure it was the Uzumaki?" one of them asked, wearily.

"Positive. Without the homage here, Naruto is a threat to the village." I reasoned.

"As much as it pains me to say it, he's right. We must eradicate the threat as soon as possible. If let him get away, he could become more powerful and return to destroy the village." The head councilman said slyly. I have a feeling he's been waiting for an opportunity to get rid of the demon-brat.

His words seemed to sway his fellow councilmen, and orders were sent out to kill Uzumaki Naruto on sight.

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Naruto POV

I'm a baby fox. Am I still asleep?

If so, now would be a really good time to wake up.

"Uzumaki?" An unfamiliar voice called.

I turned to see a ninja looking at me oddly.

"It is you, isn't it? Looks like I got lucky." He said, smiling.

Before I could wonder what he he meant, I was dodging a kunai that would've killed me.

A few more ninja showed up, and looked at the first ninja quizzically.

"Uzumaki is the fox," he explained,"and I think he's stuck like that. It should be easier to kill him that way. One of you go and tell the council of our development, and that they'll have his head soon.

I froze. The council… wants me dead?

I ran as fast and as far as I possibly could from my would-be assassins.

I need to figure out how to get my human form back…

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Don't judge me. I am a fabulous writer. Writing tips would be nice, though. I'm not so happy with my writing right now. Please Review, follow, and favorite my story!


	5. Introductions

Author's note: I don't have any idea what I'm doing. God help the readers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Kakashi POV

What. Did. They. Do.

I'd just been taken off of active duty. I was suspended, and when I asked why, they just said that it was to make sure I didn't get in the way of the "demon-brat's" execution. Sometimes, I wonder why I stay here.

I accepted my orders without complaint and left, before I could murder them for calling Naruto a "demon-brat."

I needed to find Naruto before those monsters got to him.

* * *

(30 minutes later)

I couldn't find him, but, according to the council, they couldn't catch Naruto. While Naruto was safe for the moment, he'd been declared a missing-nin, and a reward was offered for his capture. I need to find him, and make sure he was safe.

I would leave Konoha, for good.

But there's someone I can't leave without saying goodbye to…

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/SCENE CHANGE/

(Itachi POV)

The sickness is getting worse. I didn't expect it to be moving this fast, but, at this rate, I'll be dead in less than 2 years time. I might collapse from the strain, soon, and I doubt Kisame would take care of me if I did… I need to take a break.

"Kisame," I called calmly, even though my vision was slowly blurring, "We should take a break."

He looked at me like I'd suggested jumping off a cliff, but he listened, nonetheless. My chest started to ache, and I decided on lying down instead of collapsing from the pain. I'd just started to drift off into a peaceful sleep when I sensed a strong chakra signature coming towards us.

I shot up and looked at Kisame, who noticed it, too. There was something familiar about it, yet there was also something dark mixed in with it. The chakra signature was getting closer, and I wasn't sure if we should run or stay to fight.

"I wanna fight." Kisame stated, answering my unasked question.

We waited for about a minute, and the foreign chakra was in front of us.

I was barely able to contain my shock when I saw that the chakra belonged to… a fox.

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Author's note: MAGIC! Just like that, I lost ten more readers. Oh, well. At least I didn't kill anyone… yet…


	6. Choosing sides

Author's note: To people reading this story, PLEASE check out my other story! I need suggestions for my story, 'Could've Been.' I also would love to hear about any scenes that you would like to see in this story, or things that you would like to see happen. I own nothing. FEED ME REVIEWS TO KEEP ME HAPPY!

I own nothing.

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(Iruka POV)

I cannot believe what this village did to Naruto. They chased him away, and now they're demanding that he be found and executed. It's all because of that Uchiha. I'm not sure that I want to be here anymore. I wouldn't want to leave Kakashi, but Naruto's like a brother to me.

"Iruka!" a voice calls from behind me.

I jumped a bit, and saw Kakashi looking at me.

"We need to talk." He said, sounding upset.

"Yeah, I have something to tell you." I responded.

"You go first."

"Ok, " I muttered, thinking of ways to say my next words, "Naruto's like my little brother. He's really important to me, and, while there are things that I don't want to leave behind, I can't let him get hurt. I want to leave Konoha to find Naruto. Don't try to stop me."

Kakashi stared at me with very wide eyes for a second, before saying, "Alright"

"You're okay with it?" I asked.

"Yes, if you'll let me go with you. I was planning on leaving anyway; I came to say goodbye. I'm kinda happy that I'll have some company."

I stared at him for a minute before thanking god for not making me leave him behind.

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(Itachi POV)

This creature… had the Kyuubi's chakra. That didn't make sense. The Kyuubi was contained by a Jinchuuriki. There was also another chakra here. It was…

 **No.**

He wouldn't. It was the only explanation, though.

The current jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki, must've merged with the nine-tails. The akatsuki could no longer extract its power.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

Two men in matching cloaks were standing in front of me. The shorter of the two looked very similar to the cause of my recent troubles. He looked almost exactly like an older Sasuke, aside from the lines by his eyes.

This must be Itachi Uchiha.

The one who murdered his entire clan just to test his abilities. The one who made Sasuke go mad for revenge. The man who destroyed his brother's happiness. I am furious with the man before me.

Itachi started walking towards me.

"You merged with it, didn't you?" He asked, coming closer to my fox form. I couldn't bring myself to back away from him. I also couldn't answer, as I couldn't talk.

"We need to get you back into human form. Follow me." He ordered. I didn't listen.

The other guy, who had a blue tint to his skin, turned to Itachi and muttered something about the kyuubi. Itachi nodded, and Kisame walked forward.

"Listen, you brat, if you don't come along, I will cut off your arms and legs and drag you with us. I would've done it anyway, but this freak insists on giving you the choice." He explained, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword.

I could try fighting, but I probably couldn't take them both on at once. Itachi said something about returning me to my human form, which I couldn't figure out how to do on my own. Even If I didn't like it, I'd have to follow them. I could fight them later.

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(Konoha- The Rookies reaction to recent events)

Shikamaru POV

I thought over the announcement that'd just been made to all of Konoha.

 _Naruto Uzumaki has run away from Konoha after attacking Sasuke Uchiha. He is considered to be highly dangerous._

 _There is a secret that the younger generation needs to know. We were ordered to keep it quiet, but the Uzumaki has gone Nine-taled fox didn't die. he was sealed inside an infant by the fourth hokage. That infant was Naruto Uzumaki. He is a threat to anyone. If you see him, alert the authorities immediately. Do not attempt to confront him. He will not hesitate to kill you._

I highly doubt that. Even if Naruto has the nine-tails sealed in him, he's still Naruto. He wouldn't attack someone for no reason. Especially Sasuke. He must've done something to provoke Naruto. Rumors were going around that Sasuke was sparring with Naruto, and Sasuke tried to kill him. If that were the case, then I can't blame Naruto for attacking. Right now, it's very hard for me to be on Konoha's side.

* * *

Neji POV

Naruto wouldn't do something like this. Sasuke was one of his precious people. Then again… The Kyuubi could've taken over his mind. Naruto could've turned evil.

I don't want to think this, after Naruto saved me from myself, but we might have to fight Naruto.

* * *

Sakura POV

Naruto… attacked Sasuke? Why would he do that?

Sasuke would never do anything to hurt us, so why would Naruto attack him? Was Naruto a demon? That was the only thing that made sense. Narut ohad to be evil. That's why he would attack Sasuke, and that's why Konoha would chase Naruto. After all, Konoha was good, and they only fought evil; therefore, Naruto was evil. But… she knew Naruto. He didn't seem evil. He seemed… like a hero. Yet Konoha was trying to kill him. Konoha's council can't be wrong. I'll fight against Naruto because I know that my village is right.

* * *

Ino POV

What?

Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed inside him? How? Why didn't he tell us? Is he really evil?

I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Should I trust my village, or should I trust someone I consider a friend?

If Naruto didn't tell us, then I guess he didn't trust us. He didn't trust us not to reject him, or to keep his secrets. I think I'll prove him wrong. He can trust us. I'll trust him, and help him however I can. I'll still stay in Konoha, but if he needs help, I'm sure that Sakura and I can help him.

* * *

Choji POV

I trust Naruto more than I trust Konoha. I'm sure he had a reason for not telling us about the nine-tails.

* * *

Hinata POV

Naruto…

He has the demon fox sealed in him. He kept it a secret, and managed to control it all this time. Again, he's proven how strong he is. I'll become strong like him, and I'll use that strength to save him. I'll stay in Konoha to find out what they plan to do, and I'll become useful to Naruto.

* * *

Kiba POV

No way Naruto's evil! He's way too dumb. I'm loyal to Konoha, but they made a mistake here. Naruto isn't a monster, even if he has the demon sealed inside him. He would die to save Konoha, and they're chasing him away. Has everyone lost their minds?

* * *

Shino POV

I will follow my orders until they day I die. These orders, however, are the most ridiculous words I've ever heard. Naruto isn't the demon. He's our friend.

* * *

TenTen POV

Naruto is an enemy to Konoha. I will do whatever's necessary to eradicate the threat. I'm sure that whatever he did to Sasuke was not unprovoked, but I must follow orders if I want to advance in life. I can't let personal feelings get in the way of the mission.

* * *

Lee POV

Naruto… He has the nine-tailed sealed into him? Why wouldn't he tell me? He doesn't trust me, does he? He betrayed me. We were supposed to stick together. The two underdogs, rising above the prodigies. He was like my brother… Why would he do this?

He hurt Sakura-chan with his betrayal, he attacked Sasuke for no reason, and Kakashi and Iruka have gone missing. Naruto tore us apart. I have no doubt that he has turned against his village. I will fight Naruto and bring him back to the village.

Even if I have to break every bone in his body, I'll bring him back…

* * *

Sasuke POV

He's finally gone. That monster is far away from this village, and out of my way. He can no longer torment me with his power. Soon enough, Konoha will catch him, and he'll be executed. He was in my way on the path to revenge. He would've just gotten in my way later on, and I might've grown attached to him.

I'm a little worried about what the others will do, especially Shikamaru. He might help Naruto, and the truth could get out.

Ah, well. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose.

* * *

Author's note: Cause this is FILLER! FILLER NIGHT! I'm bored. Someone bring me a churro!


	7. You're wrong

Author's note: Well. I have no idea where I want this story to go. I had a plan, but then my mind decided to test my improv skills. If anyone has an idea, don't be shy. I'm open to just about anything that goes along with the plot.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

This is it. I've been traveling for three days straight with Itachi and Kisame, and we made it to the akatsuki base.

They could kill me right now. It wouldn't be hard. From what I know, they want Kyuubi, and the extraction will kill me.

That wasn't what was freaking me out, though.

It was me. My own thoughts were scaring me. Would I even mind dying? It's not like I've got much to live for, anymore. Maybe I should just let them kill me… at least I would die for a cause.

 **No.**

What the hell is going on with me? I can't die, not now. I have to protect my precious people.

But do they even care what I do? Sasuke almost single-handedly threw me out of the leaf village, and no one's come to rescue me from the akatsuki. I don't have a purpose for existing anymore…

"Are you coming?" Kisame asked from the entrance of the akatsuki base.

I hesitantly followed him inside.

All eyes were on me almost immediately.

"Um…" A man with long blonde hair started, "Why did you bring an animal in here, un?"

"He's the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki." Itachi stated plainly, before turning to a purple haired woman. "Where's Leader-sama? There's something I need to discuss with him."

The woman pointed down a hallway, wordlessly.

Before going down the hallway, Itachi turned towards the woman.

"Change him back to his human form so he can talk." He ordered.

* * *

(Sasuke POV)

They still haven't found Naruto, and we've been searching for three days. That can only mean that someone else found him or he died. I really need it to be the latter. If he's alive, he could ruin all of my plans.

I'm almost positive that some of my 'friends' are still loyal to Naruto. I'll have to be careful with what I say around them. Ino and Sakura would never side against me, their lifelong crush. Shikamaru could go either way. I can't trust him. Kiba, the loyal dog, will almost definitely be on Naruto's side. While loyalty is a nice sentiment, siding with Naruto will insure a painful death. After how Naruto 'changed Neji's life' I doubt that I can trust him. I'll have to find out who I can use. After all, The king can't win all on his own, he needs his pawns.

* * *

(Itachi POV)

"Leader-sama." I called into a seemingly empty room.

"You have returned. Why are you reporting to me so soon, Uchiha-san?" Questioned a cold voice.

"We found the nine-tails Jinchuuriki. I believe he has merged with the Kyuubi." I said slowly, trying to stall the inevitable.

There was a moment of tense silence.

"You are saying that we cannot extract the Kyuubi's power, correct?"  
"Yes…"  
"Where is he now?"

"I brought him to the base. He could still be useful to us. He still has the power of the nine-tails." I explained.

"Bring him to me."

Normally, I would've done as he was told, but right now…

"Leader-sama, we travelled through the night for three days to get here, and he was in the form of a fox. Changing him back will take large amounts of chakra, and it will exhaust him. Can't this little meeting wait until tomorrow?"

I can feel the anger coming from the other man.

"Fine," He practically hissed out, " bring him to me in the morning."

Why did I do that? It wasn't necessary. Though it would've been very strenuous for him…

I'll go see Naruto and see if Konan has reversed his form yet.

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

Today we're having a reunion, of sorts. Teams 7, 8, 9, and 10 are meeting to, I guess, mourn the loss of someone that we will most likely be forced to kill a year from now. We're supposed to meet an hour from now, yet, for some inexplicable reason, almost everyone was already here.

Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka, Shino, and Ino were missing.

"Sh-sh-Shikamaru…" Hinata was in front of me, trying to get my attention.

"Yeah?"

"Well… I was just wondering.. Um… D-do you think that N-n-Naruto-kun would really try to kill us?" She asked, very quietly.

I sighed. Troublesome.

"Honestly? No way in hell. Naruto would never betray his friends, even if they tried to kill him." I noticed Sasuke tense up a bit at my words, while Hinata looked relieved.

"Thank you, Shikamaru. If you believe that, then I know that I can, too." She said, managing not to stutter. As she walked away, I couldn't take my eyes off of Sasuke. Why did he get uncomfortable when I mentioned trying to kill Naruto? He didn't tense until I said those words. Sasuke was fighting Naruto before all of this happened. He could've tried to kill him, and then lashed out when it backfired and run to the council. He could've been told by Orochimaru that the Kyuubi would make him powerful, and he could've attacked Naruto for power…

He wouldn't do that to Naruto, though… they're like brothers. I won't accuse him of anything yet, only because he was a close friend of Naruto's, but that's not to say that I won't be keeping an eye on him.

The Uchiha's been talking to everyone, and I don't like it. He's asking a lot of questions about Naruto, and how everyone feels about this situation. At one point, he asked everyone whether or not they would kill Naruto, if they had to. No one really gave a sure answer.

Iruka and Kakashi are the only ones missing now. Come to think of it, I haven't seen them around for at least a couple of days. I wonder if they left to find Naruto. If they did, I'm proud of them. I hope they're not just sulking like everyone else who knew Naruto.

The more I think about everything with Naruto, the harder it is for me to be fair with Sasuke. I know that something happened to make Sasuke mad, I just don't know what. I have a few theories: Sasuke tried took the training a little too seriously and accidentally set Naruto off somehow, Sasuke purposefully triggered the Kyuubi to 'test his power' or something stupid like that, the Kyuubi gained control of Naruto's brain and used it to attack Sasuke, Sasuke tried to kill Naruto and it backfired, etc. There are almost endless possibilities. I need to figure this out, and find a way to get Naruto back into Konoha as fellow ninja.

This is going to take so much effort… Troublesome

* * *

(Naruto POV)

"Done." the purple haired woman said.

I sat up, in human form, only to regret it. I was so tired. Every muscle in my body was aching. I felt like I'd just run a marathon after ten workouts with Lee. I was under a warm blanket, too, which didn't help my exhaustion. I was trying so hard to fight off sleeping that I almost forgot that there was someone else in the room.

"You ok, kid?" She asked.

"No, everything hurts." I whined, forgetting that she was a dangerous enemy.

She chuckled before putting her hand out. "My name's Konan. You're Naruto, right? You're gonna be staying with us for a little while."

"How long?" I wondered, too tired to hesitate in shaking her hand.

"I don't know, kid. Depends." She answered as Itachi walked in.

"Leader-sama says that he can sleep before going to meet him."

I didn't even question his statement, I just passed out. Everything around me faded to black.

…

…

Just as soon as everything had faded away, it came back and hit me in the face.

I woke up to see Itachi and Konan standing over me, and I jumped backwards.

"What, uh… What're you guys doing here?" I wondered out loud.

"Leader-sama wants to talk to you." Konan said.

I followed them down a dark hallway into a room.

I couldn't see anyone, but there was a voice.

"Are you the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?"

"Yeah. Are you the guy who's gonna kill me?" I asked quietly.

"No. You have merged with the nine-tails. Killing you would be pointless. I want you to become a member of Akatsuki." He said it like it were the the simplest thing in the world.

I paused for a minute to think about it. I was actually willing to consider becoming a member of Akatsuki. They were evil, but this could be an opportunity to take them down. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go.

"What is the Akatsuki's point? What do you hope to accomplish with this organization of criminals?" I questioned, honestly curious.

"We want peace. By whatever means necessary. We will destroy the evil and get rid of any threats to the peace. In order to do that, we need power. We need power to do that. We need you and the power of the Kyuubi in order to achieve that peace."

I gaped in the direction of the voice for a second.

"Are you stupid?" I could feel the warning look that I was getting from Itachi, but I ignored it.

"What do you mean?" The voice asked, sounding annoyed.

"Peace isn't destroying the threats. That makes you a threat. Peace is harmony with your fellow man. It's getting along with your brothers and sisters. It's a place without hate. It's not just getting rid of whatever you think is the problem, It's having the patience to deal with it. It requires time and effort and it's something you reach for, but you don't step on other people's throats to reach it. That just defeats the purpose. Your organization seems more dedicated to revenge than peace to me." I rambled.

The voice was silent, and then it chuckled.

"I underestimated you. If I allow you to help us try to achieve peace, will you join? You will be an equal to us and we will listen to your ideas. I was originally going to use you as a pawn, but your ideas intrigue me. You might just change things…" He sounded almost thoughtful.

Peace… that could be my new goal.

" I'll join."


	8. The plan

Author's note: I really don't feel like doing anything else, so I'm posting a new chapter. I really do update everything too quickly. I'm an impatient person…

I own nothing

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

"Shi-Shikamaru?" Hinata called.

"What?" My natural response sounded.

"I-I was w-w-wondering.. if y-you would help me wi-with something."

"What is it?" I asked, cautiously. She was starting to freak me out.

"C-could you pl-please follow me?"

I got up slowly, stretched, and followed her to wherever we were going.

She led me to the Hyuuga estate, for whatever reason, and brought me to her room. I was really starting to get freaked out now.

When she opened the door, there were four other people there. Ino, Kiba, Choji, and Shino were all in the room. Hinata walked past me and sat on her bed.

"Why are we here, again?" Kiba asked loudly.

"She never told us." Ino muttered. So they don't know either, which means that Hinata orchestrated this entire thing.

"I need your help." Hinata said, looking at everyone in the room.

"With what?" Kiba questioned, again, very loudly.

"This has to with Naruto, right?" Surprisingly, it was Shino who asked.

She nodded. "You all told me yesterday that you believed that Naruto had a reason for attacking. I need you all to help me find out what actually happened there, but we need to keep it quiet. No one else can know. Otherwise, we won't be able to help Naruto-kun." She managed to get through the entire thing without stuttering, and she had a small smile on her face.

"Well, if we're trying to keep this a secret, you should know that your cousin is outside the door." Shino said quietly.

Choji reached over and opened the door, and Neji stumbled in.

"Neji, " Ino started, " What were you doing outside that door?"

"I heard voices, so I decided to see what was going on." He answered, a little too quickly.

"He's lying. He's been outside the door since you brought Shikamaru here." Shino declared.

Neji glared at Shino with no effect.

"I saw you bring him in here, and I got curious. I heard your plans, though. You want to find out what really happened with Naruto and Sasuke. I want in." He said, surprising some of us.

"That's fine." Hinata responded immediately, "Just be discreet."

He nodded.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" I asked.

"Ino, you need to talk to Sasuke. Try to get him to give you some information about that day. Shikamaru and Shino, I need you to break into Naruto's old apartment. Some clues might be there. Choji, Kiba, and Neji, search the training grounds where the attack happened. Can you guys do this?" Hinata asked, receiving nods from everyone.

"What will you be doing?" I wondered.

"Me? I'm, uh…I… I'm going to b-break into the Hokage's office and search for information." She muttered quietly. Just like that the stuttering was back.

Everyone gaped at her for a second. She was going to break into the Hokage's office?

* * *

*Sigh* short and sweet. I didn't feel like writing more.


	9. Stings and Burns

I own nothing.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I woke up the to the sound of an explosion and my door being flung open.

I sat upright in my bed, only to be forced into a standing position by someone hiding behind me.

"Diedara, I'm going to tear you into a thousand fucking pieces." It was Kisame.

Diedara was using me as a human shield.

"Naru-chan, Kisame is scaring me!"

"You blew my room up!" Kisame countered.

I sighed and walked up to the crazed, sword-weilding, shark man.

"Kisame, calm down. You can't kill him now."

Behind me, Diedara was smirking.

"Thank you, Naru-chan."

"Kill him in another room. I don't want mine covered in blood." I finished.

Kisame smirked and looked at Diedara.

"How could you? You're supposed to be on my side!" He yelled, running down the hall.

"Don't call me 'Naru-chan'!" I yelled after him.

After hearing a few more shouts and explosions, I deemed it safe to walk out.

Both Diedara and Kisame were covered in deep cuts and bruises. Sasori was healing Diedara and Konan was working on Kisame.

"You really shouldn't be provoking them." Konan chastised me.

I shrugged. "They woke me up."

"Well, I'm sorry that Kisame doesn't appreciate art." Diedara muttered.

"How is trying to blow me up art?!" Kisame yelled.

"Yeah, your definition of art is confusing." I joined in.

Diedara glared at me.

"Art is something that is here one minute and gone the next. The beauty of it is that it doesn't last forever." He explained, making Sasori join in.

"No. Art should last forever. It should keep existing even after you're long and gone."

This was actually interesting. The only problem with this situation was that Diedara might blow something up to prove his point…

"It depends on what we're talking abut. Beauty is complex. It can't just be defined with one word. It can be fleeting, everlasting, or both at the same time. Besides, your views on beauty and art just speak for your character." I said. They all just stared at me for a second.

"What do you mean they speak for our character?" Diedara asked.

"Well, from your opinions on beauty, I know a lot about you both."

'Like what?" It was Sasori who asked, this time.

"Sasori, from your views, I can tell that you want something that will last a long time. You reject the common belief that nothing lasts forever, and you want the things that you see as perfect to last forever. You make puppets out of the things you see as worthy. You're a person who, if they could, would love something forever, and keep it by your side for all of eternity. You defy the laws of life to keep a simple beauty alive. In you're eyes, beauty is a sort of everlasting love.

"Diedara, you see beauty as a fleeting moment. It's something that can never last. Rather than reject it like Sasori, you embrace common belief. You find something that is beautiful, in your eyes, and you destroy it. It's not because you don't like beauty, it's because of the way you are. In your head, it's better for the beauty of this world to be short-lived. You think that it deserves something better than this world, and that we should enjoy the beautiful things while they're here.

"Both of your views show the way you live, love, and think. I honestly don't see why you guys argue about that." I finished after what felt like hours of talking.

They both stared at me agin.

"What about you, Naruto?" Sasori asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you see beauty?"

I paused for a minute, before answering, "Tragedy. Tragedy and heartbreak."

And with that, I walked back to my room to catch up on sleep.

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

I decided to get this over with as soon as possible, so I went to Naruto's old apartment with Shino.

It was a really depressing, run down building. I almost couldn't believe that our smiling Naruto used to live here, but this was the place Hinata told me to go to. I opened the door, and I saw nothing that proved that this building belonged to Naruto. I was almost about to leave when I saw a picture sitting on his bedside table. It was team 7. Well, the old one anyway. This was definitely his place.

After hours of searching, we found nothing. Even if there was anything here, the search party already checked here. I was about to leave again when I saw a book out of the corner of my eye.

It was some sort of planner, titled 'Kyuubi attack'. There was nothing particularly interesting in the book, just a few notes on the nine-tails, but there was something written in the top corner of the front page.

'Henge of blood'

I stared at it for a minute before noticing that there was light reflecting off of the book's binding. I touched it and felt a long, thin, cold metal object in the binding. I tried to grab it, only to drop it inn pain. It was a needle. Why would a needle be in this book?

It was the 'henge of blood'. It had to be. I let a drop of blood fall onto the book, and it started to glow. The book changed into some sort of journal. I read the first entry, with Shino reading over my shoulder.

 _Jiji told me to write in this book_ _… he said that it will help me express myself, seeing as everyone else seems to want me dead. I'm pretty rue that the hokage only got this journal for me because there was an attempt on my life. I don't even know how I survived. The last thing I remember before blacking out was a sword going through my really wants me dead… I wonder if I should just give them what they want. I could just end it all right now. there would be no more pain, no more hate, and no more misery._

 _But I won't. I don't want to. I want to be happy. I want to do something with my life, and I won't suffer just because other people don't like me._

 _Oh well. Apparently, Jiji wants to enroll me in the ninja academy._

 _I want to be like him someday. He's kind and gentle, but he can also be stern and strict. I think that I want to be a hokage like him some day_

This entry was dated seven years ago. I read through all of the entries, Shino reading some of them with me, until I got to the last one.

 _Sasuke told me that the village would be better off without me. I guess that's just one more person who hates me. It hurts more from him, though. Every one of the rookies is like family to me. Sasuke was like my brother, and he says that we're not even friends. He wants to meet me tomorrow morning. I don't know what he wants, or what he's capable of, but I'm gonna go. He needs to talk to someone, and he refuses to accept any of us as his friends._

 _I just hope that he doesn't do anything that could get him in trouble._

This one was dated the on the day before Naruto 'attacked' Sasuke. There was definitely more to this than meets the eye.

"Shino, read this." I said, tossing him the journal.

After reading it, he looked up at me.

"The date-"

"I know," I interrupted, "We need to show this to Hinata."

(Ino POV)

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" I called to him in a sickly sweet voice. He didn't even bother to respond, which I normally would've thought was cool, but right now I need answers.

"I'm sorry. About what happened, I mean. We know that you and Naruto were like brothers." I said, watching closely for a reaction. All I got was 'hn'. Again, it was normally the hottest thing ever, but we just lost a dear friend. That was not a proper reaction.

"I just don't know why Naruto would do something like this. He's normally such a happy, easy-going person. He would never just attack someone for no reason." I was trying to provoke him, and, unfortunately, it worked.

"Ino, he just did. Maybe you didn't know him as well as you should've. I mean, what do you actually know about him? Nothing. So stop being so insensitive. I was actually on his team. I knew him. I was close to him, and yet he tried to kill me. I'm not ready to talk about the fight, so leave me alone." He uttered before walking away.

As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. I didn't really know Naruto as well as I should've. I didn't have to, so I didn't ever really talk to him. I replayed Sasuke's words in my head, and one thing caught my attention. He said that he wasn't ready to talk about the fight. All of the reports said that Naruto just attacked Sasuke for no reason and tried to kill him. Sasuke told the council that he ran away from Naruto, so how was there a fight? It wasn't much, but at least I know that there was a fight between them.

(Neji POV)

Choji and I were at the training grounds where this attack supposedly went down. Kiba hadn't showed up, but we were fine searching on our own.

From what I could see, there was nothing useful here. I was about to ask Choji if he'd seen anything when he started walking away from me. He bent down in the grass and held up a necklace.

I walked over to him and saw a bluish stone on a long black cord. I know that Naruto always wore this thing. He never took it off, yet here it was, in the grass, where he apparently attacked someone.

There was dried blood on the cord, and it was Naruto's. If Naruto just attacked , completely unprovoked, and sent Sasuke running, then why would he leave this necklace, that was so precious to him, lying out here? More importantly, why was it covered in his blood?

* * *

(Itachi POV)

Everyone in the Akatsuki seems to have taken a liking to Naruto. Sasori and Diedara seem to both like his views on art, somehow, Konan sees Naruto as her younger brother, Kisame hasn't tried to kill him yet, Hidan and Kakuzu keep their distance, and Pein/Nagato seem to appreciate his views.

It's only been about a week, and he's already been accepted as a member.

Something about that doesn't fit.

It's not right for him to be witA us. We're S-class criminals. We've killed hundreds of people without mercy. He shouldn't be anywhere near us. He should fear us, yet he treats us as his equals. As if, somehow, he's on the same level as us. He isn't. He never should be. I never want him to be.

He keeps smiling, and it bothers me. It's clear in his eyes, he's falling apart. Why does he keep laughing?

There are dark circles under his eyes, and every morning, they seem darker.

He's not sleeping, he's pretending that everything's okay, and he's befriending killers. I think that Naruto might need to talk.

* * *

(Hinata POV)

I have to find the official records on what happened between Naruto-kun and Sasuke. I managed to get into the Sandaime's office without trouble, but I think someone let me in.

The records should be in the top drawer. I pulled it opened and immediately found what I was looking for. I opened the file up and read it with eager eyes.

 _Sasuke Uchiha showed up in front of the council covered in blood, later discovered to belong to both the Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. He claimed that he'd been attacked by the Uzumaki, and the council immediately ordered the execution of the Kyuubi vessel._

 _The Uchiha said that he'd managed to land a blow to the Uzumaki, and he'd run away right after. It explained the blood, and allowed the council to rid Konoha of the nine-tailed fox. Without the hokage, the council was able to make this decision with no objections._

 _The council didn't go through the normal procedures to see if the last Uchiha was lying, and, instead, they revealed an S-class secret to everyone who didn't already know, claiming that it was for the safety of Konoha._

There wasn't anything else of value written anywhere, but this was enough to convince me that Naruto was innocent. He hadn't changed. That made me so happy. I can't wait to show the others.

I copied the information down before putting the file away and sneaking away.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

"Hey, kid!" A voice was calling to me.

I groaned. Everything hurt, again. I haven't slept for almost a week, now. It wasn't like I hadn't tried, I just couldn't.

I opened my eyes to see Kisame staring at me.

"What do you want?" I wondered.

"You ok?" He didn't really sound concerned, but it didn't mater.

"'M Fine. Just exhausted. I can't sleep, for some reason." I explained.

"Sucks for you." He pulled a few bottles of sake out of nowhere and looked towards me.

"You want some?"

"I'm underage." I muttered.

"So? We don't exactly follow the law here…"He held a bottle out to me, and I took it from his hands. If this would take my mind off of things, than I'll drink a hundred bottles. I chugged the entire thing down, and it burned like hell. I thought I would die, but I just kept on drinking.

I felt even more exhausted, before I felt warm. It made me… happy. I started giggling uncontrollably, making Kisame stare at me.

"You've only had one bottle, how are you this drunk?"

"Shaddup and hand me another bottle." He obliged and I chugged that down faster than the first one. I kept drinking more and more, until I was completely numb. I completely forgot about whatever the hell was bothering me before. But then, he had to show up and ruin my anesthesia.

* * *

(Itachi POV)

I found Naruto and Kisame, both drinking large amounts of sake. What was Kisame thinking?! How could he let a child get drunk? Naruto was staring at me with a totally blank face.

"You're the one who killed the Uchiha clan" He managed to say, slurring more than half of the words. "Why… Why'd you do that?"

I glared at him, with no effect.

"You shouldn't ask Itachi stuff. He doesn't know how to communicate with other humans." Kisame whispered loud enough for me to hear.

"Yeah he does. He just doesn't because he's a bastard, like his brother. At least the older one hasn't tried to kill me yet."

I froze. What? Naruto must've noticed my not-so-apparent shock, because he stood up.

"Yeah. He put a chidori through my chest. That's the only reason that all of this happened to begin with. Kyuubi managed to make me merge with him while I was bleeding out. It gives me nightmares. I can feel his hand tearing through my chest, while he just smirks at me. It's been tearing me apart, knowing that he could do that."

My brother… tried to kill his best friend. He's only doing what I told him to.

"Come to think of it, this is all your fault." He slurred. "You killed his entire clan. If you were never born, Sasuke would still have a family, and he would never have done any of this. He never would've suffered through a loss."

"Naruto, even if the Uchiha clan were still alive, they were never good enough to be my brother's family. They didn't deserve him. There are things you don't know about the massacre." I said it quietly, but he clearly heard.

"The simple fact is, you murdered your family. Your own flesh and blood. There was no reason for that." He was sounding more and more sober by the moment.

"I have no obligation to tell you my motives."

There was a loud noise behind Naruto. Kisame had passed out.

"What could drive you to do that? What 'motives' made you kill your family and destroy your brother's life?! Did you just decide that your family did't deserve to live?" He was yelling, now.

"Was it just for fun?"

"Naruto-"

"Did someone pay for you to do it?!"

"I…"

"Were you ordered to?"

I looked away. He noticed. Time stood still for a moment.

"Oh, god. You were, weren't you? Of course. How else could things get any more fucked up?"

"The Uchiha clan was planning on taking over the village. I stopped a war from breaking out, and I took the blame for the incident to keep the trust in Konoha strong." I said, not wanting to draw this conversation out, but still talking to him for some inexplicable reason.

"They were your family!" He was shouting.

"The only person there who I thought of as my family was my brother. I did what I could for him."

I don't know why I'm telling him all of this. There's no point. It'll only cause me trouble later, but I couldn't stop myself. It felt good to talk to someone, anyone, about this.

"You killed your brother's family for him? Oh, how kind of you. Are you stupid? Even if the hokage himself got down on his hands and knees and begged, and even if your family was planning something like that, you shouldn't have killed them! You should've stopped them from doing something they'd regret! Instead, you massacred everyone and made your brother lose everything he cared about! And did you even think about what would happen to you? Everyone hates you, and there's no way that they'll forgive you!"

"Not everyone can be saved." I said darkly. "As for what I did to Sasuke, it was better if he remembered me as a monster."

There was a moment of agonizing silence, where Naruto seemed to be lost in thought.

"Why wouldn't you tell anyone? Why would you leave Konoha?"

"What do you think would happen if Sasuke found out that the village was behind all of this? His hate for me would be directed towards the village, and he would destroy everything." My voice sounded bitter, even to me.

"Why would you tell me any of this?" He asked, sounding… angry?

"It's a truly selfish decision. I'm tired of bearing this burden. I deserve it for all that I've down, but I don't like this suffering. It only reminds me that I can never find salvation."

Suddenly, my face stung, and Naruto's hand was in front of my face.

"Did you… Did you just slap me?"

* * *

Author's note: Tell me if I did anything wrong. I'm not entirely sure what the heck happened with the Uchiha massacre, I just know that Itachi had some reason for it. It there's anything you want to see changed, tell me!

Review, favorite, and follow pls. It also wouldn't kill you to check out my other stories!


	10. Plot twist

Author's note: I'm so happy that people are actually reading this story! For your support you get a long chapter! I mean an unbelievably long chapter. It''ll take forever to get through. Here's a four thousand word chapter.

I own nothing.

I may have written a little bit of recap for the last chapter ^_^

* * *

(?3rd Person?)

"Why are you telling me any of this?"

"It's a truly selfish decision. I'm tired of bearing this burden alone. I deserve it for all that I've done, but I don't like this suffering. It only reminds me that I can never find salvation." My voice was bitter.

"Did you… Did you just slap me?"

"Yes! What the hell do you think you're saying?"

(Naruto POV)

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

"I know that what you did was horrible, but you saw no other way out! You did something really, really stupid, but that doesn't mean that you deserve suffering! You used your better judgement, and listened to the judgement of others, to make this decision! They were just as involved as you, and I don't see any of them trying to punish themselves for their 'crimes'!"

"Yes, but I was the one who actually committed the crime."

"They told you to! And even if everything was your fault, it doesn't matter! You regret it. No matter what you've done, as long as you want it, you can find salvation! You're still human. Stop being ridiculous." I muttered, walking away.

* * *

(Kakashi POV)

We'd been traveling for weeks with no sign of Naruto. I think Iruka's started to assume the worst. He's acting very distant, and showing signs of depression.

"Kakashi!" Iruka called.

I looked over to him.

"I think this is Naruto's chakra signature!" He said.

I checked the signature, and it was Naruto's. There were three other chakra signatures here, too. How had I missed that?

"It goes this way! It should lead us to Naruto!"

I nodded. We were one step closer to finding him.

* * *

(Sakura POV)

I need to talk to Kiba. I think he may be planning on doing something incredibly stupid. Ever since I saw him a few days ago, I've had my suspicions. It doesn't help that he's been avoiding me at every turn.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Hey Kiba!" I clued to him. He looked around for a minute before seeing me. He tensed up._

 _"H-Hey, Sakura." He was stuttering._ _Weird._

 _"Where are you headed?" We were near the training ground where Naruto attacked Sasuke, but I ignored it._

 _"N-Nowhere. I was just heading home from lunch."_

 _"It's 9:30." I said narrowing my eyes, "And you're at the training grounds."_

 _"I, uh, meant I was training with Hinata and Shino. My mind's a mile away today, sorry." He muttered._

 _"It's okay. I was just going to the training grounds myself. Funny, I saw Hinata heading towards the Hokage tower a little while ago…"_

 _"Ha, yeah, well, she left early. Something about clan matters."_

 _"Huh. Well, see you around." I managed. He started walking away from the training grounds with a worried look etched onto his face._

 ** _end_**

He was acting really weird that day, and when I found him, he was heading towards the truing grounds, not away from them. Something's definitely going on here, and I will find out what.

* * *

(Kiba POV)

I am so stupid! How could I get caught like that? And why couldn't I just say that I was going to train? I would've been able to meet Choji and Neji, then. This is so ridiculous. She's been trying to talk to me for a little while, now, and I'm pretty sure I've seen her following me a few times.

Today, we're supposed to meet up at the Hyuuga district and discuss what we've found. I'll have to tell them what happened.

I arrived early, mostly due to the fact that I was freaking out, and saw that everyone else was here early, too.

"We found something important." Neji said, taking something out of his pocket. It was a necklace.

Hinata gasped. I had no idea what it was.

"It that-"

"Yeah. It's Naruto's. And it's covered in his blood."

"This isn't good. Sasuke said that he fought against Naruto. I think it's safe to say that Sasuke hurt him pretty badly. When I went to talk to him, he was being really mean, and he wasn't acting normal. When I mentioned Naruto, he got all defensive and started insulting me to make me leave him alone." Ino explained.

"I found a file in the homage's office. I wrote down what I found." Hinata said quietly, holding out a paper.

Neji grabbed it and read the contents out loud.

"So, the council made a biased decision because Naruto holds that demon fox in him." I muttered.

"There's also the fact that Sasuke is the last Uchiha, and they'd naturally side with him. Naruto didn't stand a chance. We found a journal in his room. Naruto talked to Sasuke the day before the fight, and… well, just read it." It was Shikamaru. He pulled out a book and jabbed a needle into his hand, getting a few drops on the journal. We all read the last entry.

Everything was starting to come together. Sasuke and Naruto got into some fight, Naruto was injured, and, being Naruto, he got back up and fought even harder. He hurt Sasuke, and then that bastard sent the council after him. Now we just need to know why the fight started. I just hope we can get that far.

"Kiba never showed up to help us search. Why was that?" Neji asked. I winced.

"Well, um… Sakura found me heading towards the training grounds and started asking questions. I lied, got caught, and lied again. Now she's onto us. Sorry, guys." I said quietly.

"I know that she's not stupid, but, as long as we don't tell her, she shouldn't be able to figure anything out, right?" Ino sounded worried.

"If she's really looking into things, we should probably stop meeting each other for a while. We can still research things on our own, but if we keep meeting up, she'll get suspicious." Shikamaru suggested.

"Is there a way we can dare information? I want to know if someone finds something important." It was Neji.

"W-well, we c-could probably j-just tell Shikamaru, and he c-c-ould tell everyone else." Hinata almost whispered.

"I guess that could work.." I agreed.

"Whoa! I don't wanna do that! Why does it have to be me?" He protested.

Neji sighed. "Think about it. You would be the best option. As much as I hate to admit it, you're good at strategizing. We can trust your judgement on what to do with the information, and we can trust you to be loyal to your friends. No matter how lazy you are, you can handle this. People probably won't even be suspicious because you're around most of us anyway! You need to do this."

"What about Hinata! You can trust her." He argued.

"I'd b-be more comfortable l-letting y-y-you do it. I m-m-might not be able t-to keep the information away f-from my f-father."

"Come on, man. This is to get Naruto back. He was framed, and you know it. You can't let your slacker attitude come before a trusted friend." I said.

He sighed. "Fine. But I'm only doing it to get you guys to shut up." He muttered.

* * *

(Itachi POV)

He… slapped me. I've been idolized, loved, attacked, hated, crushed on, stalked, and everything else imaginable, but… slapped?

He told me that I could always find salvation, so long as I wanted it. In all honesty, I want it more than anything. He said that the fact that I want to be saved makes me human. Why would he say any of this to me? Even if he believes all of this, why help the person who murdered your best friend's family?

He makes no sense to me.I need to talk to him again.

"Konan." She looked up at me. "Where's Naruto?"

"Pein sent him on a mission with Diedara and Sasori. He'll be gone for at least a week."

For some reason, that information upset me. He would be gone for a week. It wasn't even that long. I need to know why he would say any of that to me. Why would he try and help someone who he saw as the enemy?

He did see me as the enemy, right?

* * *

(Sakura POV)

Today, I tried talking to Ino. She was acting just as weird as Kiba. Hinata literally ran away at the sight of me, and Neji seems more jerk-like than usual. I don't know what's going on with them, but it's seriously weirding me out.

"Hey, Sakura." A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. It was Sasuke.

'Oh. Hey, Sasuke-kun."

"I was just wondering if that seat was free?" He pointed next to me on the bench.

"Yes! I mean, yeah, there's room for one more." I finished, cooly. He sat down next to me.

"I, was, um hoping that, maybe I could talk to you. I mean, everyone else has been grilling me about what happened with Naruto, and I just want to talk about it with someone I'm close to." He was really quiet when he spoke. I was… close to him?

My heart started beating faster.

"Sure, Sasuke-kun. You can tell me anything." My voice was soft.

"I lied about what happened with Naruto. It wasn't just a random attack."

I froze. It wasn't? Please, Sasuke, don't tell me that you did all of this…

"I told him to fight me. I was angry with him."

"Why" I wondered what could've made Sasuke that angry.

"He was saying that my clan deserved to be massacred. He said that it was a pity I survived, but he could understand not wanting to kill someone so weak." He clenched his fists. "But he was provoking me. He was planning on using the Kyuubi's power to kill me during a 'friendly spar.' Apparently, I was 'blocking his path to power.' If I hadn't managed to hit him and run…" He trailed off, and I couldn't help it. I pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I understand why you wouldn't tell the truth. You were preserving his memory. I know how hard all of this must be for you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Naruto needs to pay for what he's done to you." The last part came to as a whisper.

"Sakura, I never wanted to admit it, but… I think I'm in love with you." It was almost too quiet for me to hear. Almost.

"Really?" I breathed out.

"Y-yes." He stuttered. My heart stopped and sped up at the same time. He loved me!

"I love you too, Sasuke! I always have! I've been waiting so long to hear you say those words, and now I'm never letting you go!" I pulled him even closer than he already was from the hug.

"So you'll be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!"

"I'm happy to hear you say that. I need you to help me get through this."

Sasuke just made me the happiest girl in the world.

(Sasuke POV)

I've found the perfect pawn. With me 'traumatized' by the loss my best friend, she won't even question it when I tell her to get stronger for me. She's also hopelessly in love with me to the point where she'll be loyal to me if I utter those three useless words.

This would've been more of a challenge with Naruto here. Getting rid of him was the best decision I think I've eve made. The game is so much easier without an opponent.

"Sakura, I know it's wrong of me to say, but I'm glad that Naruto's gone. He was getting in the way of our relationship." I lied. My acting skills weren't great, but they were enough to fool this lovesick banshee.

"What do you mean?" She asked, finally pulling away from that 'heartwarming embrace.'

"He never really liked you. He was just trying to keep us apart because he knew that we'd be unstoppable." I took her hands into mine and looked into her eyes. "Our love would be stronger than any opponent. He wouldn't stand a chance against us." Those lines were enough to make me puke, but I was sure that they would work on her.

"Oh, Sasuke. I'll do anything to stay with you." Of course she would. But if I looked any differently, would she ever have even noticed me? I hate people.

"Sakura, I want you to get stronger. I want you to be with me forever, and I won't let you fail any of the exams. I couldn't stand being a rank away from you. I want to become chunin together." I was actually going to be sick.

"Sasuke, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Damn right I am. You'll get to be the easiest guard dog I've ever tamed.

"And you've made me the happiest I've been since I lost my family. Maybe even before then." I pulled her into my arms, smirking over her shoulder.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

We finished the mission earlier than planned. It hasn't even been two days. The only thing is… I feel bad for what I'm about to do. We plan on passing Suna on the way back, and we're going to stop by. I want to talk to Gaara about everything that's happened recently, but I don't know if I can trust him. The last time I saw him was after I fought him, and he seemed like he changed, but I can never be too sure.

Diedara, Sasori, and I just entering Suna, and I can already tell that this is going to be annoying.

(Gaara POV)

There are reports of Akatsuki members seen inside of Suna, and the council is requesting my help in ridding the village of the threat.

I found three of them wandering around the back streets. I immediately attacked with my sand, aiming to crush all three of them. Instead, the one on the left pushed the other two out of the way and took the blow for them. Even though it was odd for one of these criminals to care for their comrades, it was took late to question him. I moved the sand away from what was supposed to be a corpse to find someone still standing.

"Diedara, Sasori, go ahead."

"We don't-"

"I need to do this. Go ahead and return to base. If I'm not back in two days, I'm dead. Now, go!"

I was surprised to see them actually listening to him, but I was distracted by the fact that this man's voice was familiar. It almost sounded like…

"Well, they're long gone. Hey, Gaara!" He called, throwing the Akatsuki cloak off. It was Naruto. The person who made me stop killing. The one who helped me find a new reason for existing. He helped me see things differently and he saved me. Why was he with _them_?!

"Naruto." Was all that I managed. He chuckled.

"I have a lot of explaining to do, I know, but things have been a bit hectic."

"You better tell me what happened to make you join a group of S-class criminals. Does this mean that you gave up on your goal? Are you going back on your word?"

"You need to know what happened, Gaara. It's not like I wanted to leave my friends…"

 _ **A year of flashbacks, memories, and recap later because I don't want to rewrite that boringness.**_

"So… You joined the akastuki in order to help them create piece in this world?" It made no sense to me.

"Yes. Their views might be a little off, but… I trust them."

"And the reason all of this happened was the Uchiha?" I would kill him.

"It's not his fault. The seal is messing with his head, and having Orochimaru whispering thing in his head isn't exactly helping. I don't blame him for any of this, and even if I did, it wouldn't help the situation."

"Do you really want to stay in the Akatsuki?" I asked.

"Yes." It was a simple answer, but it decided everything. I would let him do this, only because it's what he wants, and I wouldn't tell anyone in Konoha about this. None of them have my trust.

"You're still staying here tonight. No arguments, you can meet your friends tomorrow." He looked like he wanted to object, but i dragged him to a hotel before he could. He didn't even have time to blink before I had him checked him.

"Gaara!" He yelled, just as I was walking away. I turned around.

"Umm. I just want to say thanks. For not turning me in and all…"

I smiled slightly and uttered the one phrase I never thought would come out of my mind.

"That's what friends are for."

* * *

(Akatsuki hideout, Itachi POV)

Diedara and Sasori showed up days earlier than they were supposed to, without Naruto.

"What happened and where's Naruto?" Konan questioned them.

"He stayed to fight the one tailed jinchuuriki. He said that if he wasn't back in two days that we should assume he's dead." Sasori answered without skipping a beat. With that, they went their separate ways.

Why would he stay? Why did they need to stop in Suna? Their mission was in Amegakure. I think that Naruto planned this… My thought process was interrupted by a loud explosion, and then two men landing in front of me. One of them I recognized as Kakashi Hatake, the famous copy nin. The other one, I believe, I've seen in Konoha before.

"I'm only going to say this once. Give. Naruto. Back." Kakashi demanded, adopting a fighting stance.

I just stared at him, my Mangekyou Sharingan activated.

"Itachi, stop. We can't fight right now." It was Konan. I forgot she was still here. "We don't have Naruto, and it's not like we're keeping him here against his will."

"What are you implying?" It was the other ninja.

"She's not implying anything," I interrupted. "She's merely pointing out to you two 'heroes' that Naruto Uzumaki is a loyal Akatsuki member."

"You liar! Naruto would never associate with you murderers!" Again, it was Kakashi's partner.

"Really? We're the murderers? What about the people in your precious village? You can't say that Naruto didn't have a reason for running from you." I couldn't stop myself now.

"We may not know why Naruto attacked Sasuke, but-"

"The way I heard it, Sasuke put a chidori through Naruto's chest and forced Naruto to use the nine tail's power. I have no idea what lies the council told, but, I assure you, they're not the truth."

Kakashi tried to attack me from behind, replacing himself with a clone and trying to take advantage of the situation. I easily dodged the attack. After a few more failed attacks, they started talking again.

"Sasuke was his friend! He would never do that!"

"So you can say with one hundred percent certainty that the curse seal combined with his strong need for revenge could never drive him to attack someone, even a close friend, for power? If you can, then you don't know my brother."

They kept fighting before Diedara and Pein showed up, and they didn't stand a chance.

"We should keep them alive. They left Konoha and managed to find our base. They clearly have talent, and with Naruto as a member, they have a reason to stay." I proposed.

"They attacked us and nearly destroyed our base, and, for all we know, they're still loyal to the leaf village!" Diedara argued.

"We can keep them alive for questioning and decide what to do with them later." Pein mumbled.

* * *

Author's note: Whoever's reading this, I want you to know, I started this at 2 a.m. and finished at 5 a.m., with breaks for family guy in between. I apologize if this chapter was crappy, and for the fact that I lied. It's not four thousand words long. It's three thousand six hundred and five words. And that's including author's notes.

Oh, well. Tell me if there's anything that I seriously screwed up on, or you can review favorite and follow this story. If you have time, I also have a few more stories you can check out…


	11. Information

Author's notes: I would jut like to say thanks to all of my lovely reviewers: **Ezakike** , who gave me this story, **Darkhuntressxir** , who's managed to review on more than half of the chapters, **Iliveformangaandanime** , **PerdidoKitsune** , who's somehow reviewed on almost all of my stories and managed to talk to me without losing their mind, **Idris2000,** who's picture is fun and **RainingDiamonds** , who's name sounds like it would hurt. Your reviews make me update faster. I'd also like to thank all of the followers of the story, and the people who have it as a favorite.

That being said, I rewrote the first two chapters, and I'm not sure if I changed anything drastically. If I did, please tell me via PM or review.

I own nothing.

* * *

 _Recap_

 _"If I'm not back in two days, assume that I'm dead."_

 _" 'Sakura_ _… I think I'm in love with you…' I pulled her into my arms, smirking over her shoulder."_

 _" 'We'll keep them alive for questioning and decide what to do with them later.' "_

* * *

(Itachi POV)

It's been three days…

 _(I'm too lazy to write anything else from Itachi's POV)_

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I'm not entirely sure how this happened…

 _FLASHBACK_

 _"Thank you again for letting me stay here, even though I did sorta sneak in_ _…"_

 _"Don't do it again. Next time, just walk through the gates like a normal person."_

 _I smirked at him before setting off to get back to the base. I couldn't help but feel happy that I had someone left. He knew about the Kyuubi, and everything that happened with Sasuke, but he didn't even_ _hesitate to help me._

 _I wonder if there are other people like him…_

 _I need to get back to the akatsuki. I only have until tomorrow morning to get there, and it's already noon._

 _Maybe I can use fox form for this…_

 _FLASHBACK END_

It didn't work. Konan told me not to try switching forms until she had time to train me, but I figured it would be okay in an emergency.

Instead, I ended up in some weird, in between human and fox form.

Konan explained that my human form is still my original one, but I can change into other ones. Apparently, it takes large amounts of effort and chakra, and can be brought on by emotional stress. It would explain why I switched after my fight with Sasuke. This whole thing sounds more like a sickness than an ability, though.

* * *

(Iruka POV)

This whole situation is straining. We've been captured by the akatsuki, who are claiming that Naruto is a member, and holding us for 'interrogation'. Itachi resale got to me when he told us that Sasuke tried to kill Naruto. He had to be lying. Even if it was for power, Sasuke would never do that.

"I know what you're thinking about. We can't know for sure, so calm down." Kakashi called. I'd been pacing around the room for at least an hour.

"He was your student! Would he attack one of his teammates for any reason?"

He didn't even bother to answer. This was ridiculous. I'd been trapped in a room for days, worrying about Naruto, and I need answers.

* * *

(Hinata POV)

I don't know how I missed it. I should've come here days ago. The ramen shop. If Naruto told anyone about what was happening in his life, it would be these people. I walked in and saw that the place was practically empty.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" I turned to see a woman standing behind the bar, staring at me.

"Um… I w-was wondering if N-Naruto-kun was here a before h-he… left." I said the last word hesitantly.

"Her previously warm eyes were now cold and hard.

"Why do you want to know?"

"W-well…" I didn't know if she would keep this a secret. "C-can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Depends on what it is. If you want information, you're going to have to tell me what you'll use it for."

"I-I'm trying t-to prove that N-Naruto d-d-didn't attack anyone."

The lady went back to smiling. She told me to wait until the last customer left before taking me to a table in the back of the shop.

"Well, then, I guess you should know… Sasuke came in here looking for Naruto, claiming that he needed to get rid of a monster. That bastard had the nerve to call him a demon, so I kindly slapped him as hard as I could before kicking him out and banning him from this place. After that, Naruto came in asking about why I hit him."

She was still smiling, but it was hollow, now. Almost as if whatever happened was her fault…

"What happened?" I asked.

"I told him that he should talk to Sasuke. The next day, Naruto was a wanted shinobi." She hung her head, and I couldn't stop myself from trying to comfort her.

"It wasn't your fault. From what I've learned, whatever happened is Sasuke's fault…" I ended up telling her about everything that we'd found out, and even information on our alliance.

"I swear I'll guard these secrets with my life." She whispered, before standing and walking back to the bar.

"Thank you for telling me about what you saw, but, w-well, why didn't you go to the council with this? The fact that Sasuke said those things should be enough to at least arouse some suspicion." I said quietly. She got upset again.

"I did. They just brushed off everything that I said." She clenched her fists.

So, the council really was biased against Naruto. This village is losing my respect.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I've been stuck in some forest for at least a day, and now the akatsuki members have probably assumed that I'm dead.

* * *

quote of the day:

" 'I'm eight.'

'Cool. I was eight when I was your age.' "


	12. Evil?

Author's note: This chapter will be shorter than the others because reasons. Nah, It's because I don't feel like writing a lot. **darkhuntressxir** is still reviewing on every chapter, and I'm very happy. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Now, I need you guys, the readers of this lovely story, to help me divide on something. Should I make anyone from Konoha(not including Kakahsi or Iruka) an akatsuki member with Naruto? I require assistance…

I own nothing.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

By the end of the night full of walking in circles in this freaking maze of a jungle, I was exhausted. I collapsed on the ground and saw that I would be out of the jungle if I'd just made it ten more meters.

* * *

When I woke up, I sat up and found that I was back to my usual self; No fangs, no claws, no creepily heightened senses. I ran the short distance that it took to make into a plain, and I realized that I was VERY close to the base. It would take a little less than an hour to get back.

They wouldn't be mad, right? I'd only been gone for, like, a day more than I told them. It should be fine.

Time passed really quickly and I was somehow already at the akatsuki entrance. I hesitantly walked into the darkness. When it started to get brighter, I could make out a figure standing few feet in front of me. Before I could figure out who it was, they slammed me against the wall. Of core… It was Itachi.

"You said two days."

"Well… Um… I got sidetracked?"

"You should've accounted for everything that could've happened." He muttered, backing away from me.

"I didn't exactly know that I was gonna lose control of what form I was in. That reminds me, I really need to talk to Konan. Are the others freaking out about me being missing? If not, I'd like to talk to Konan first."

"I'll let them know that you're back." he said briskly, walking away from me.

Well… That was weird.

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

Hinata told me what she learned from Ayame… This is getting ridiculous.

Something had to have driven Sasuke to this. He wouldn't just attack for no reason, and I know he didn't hate Naruto.

Right now, however, I'm a little more focused on Sasuke and Sakura. Apparently they started dating, and now everyone seems to think that we're fighting against each other. The rookies have broken into two groups: The ones on Naruto's side, and the ones on Sasuke's. From what I can tell TenTen and Sakura are definitely with Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, and Neji remain loyal to Naruto, and everyone else is unclear. They probably would be on Naruto's said if Sakura hadn't claimed that Sasuke was 'emotionally damaged' by the traumatic events involving Naruto. Sasuke didn't help either. He was actually _semi-nice_ to everyone. That made me suspicious, and I haven't actually told any of the others about what Hinata and I know, though she said she told Kiba. I don't know if I can trust them, and I'm going to do was I was told and use my better judgement with this information.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

"You WHAT?!" This is the first time I've actually seen Konan get mad. It's not pretty. " I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO TRY AND CHANGE FORMS UNTIL I HAD TIME TO TRAIN YOU! IT WAS RECKLESS! WHAT IF YOU'D BEEN CAUGHT? SOMEONE COULD KILL YOU FOR YOUR POWERS! THEY COULD TAKE YOU BACK TO THAT GOD FORSAKEN VILLAGE YOU CALL HOME! YOU'RE A WANTED CRIMINAL! YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND LISTEN TO WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes, jeeze. I'm sorry!" She was scarier than Tsunade.

"GOOD! Now leave me alone! I need to get some sleep. You've tired me out."

I left the room as fast as I could, very eager to escape. Itachi and Konan seem really worked up about this…

* * *

Author's note: Yes. It's a very short chapter. I'm lazy, and I'm now working on 9 stories at once. I know it's not as many as some other people work on at once, but I'm a naturally lazy person. It's my fault for starting on new ones while I still had older ones to finish… Oh, well. I had new ideas and I needed to write them.

Song of the day: "Miss Murder" By AFI

It's a fun, angry, scream, catchy, angsty song. I love it.


	13. Sister From Another Mister

Author's note: To **TigerzzTail** and **darkhuntressxir,** thank you so much for reviewing. I'm very happy that my lovely readers are showing support, and I'm in awe of **darkhuntressxir,** because they've reviewed on every chapter since ch 6. I seriously appreciate their continued support, and all of the amazingness of you readers who are following/reviewing on/favoriting(?) this story.

I don't own anything.

* * *

(Ino POV)

One of them betrayed us. It's the only explanation. The council has everyone who was part of the alliance on suspension and under watch. This is ridiculous. I have anbu watching my every move.

I bet it was Neji. He was the last one to join, and he was only there because he was spying on us. I get he turned us in the second he got the chance.

"Hey, Ino!" Sakura called from a park bench. I walked over to her, and grit my teeth when I saw movement in the trees. They're still following me.

"Um… are you okay?" She asked, seeing my face.

"Yeah. Just some things bothering me right now. What's up with you?"

Sakura blushed, and I immediately knew where this conversation was going.

"Well… I can't stop thinking about him. It's hard to believe that we're finally together. I mean, I've been dreaming of this moment since I was in the academy and now that it's finally happened… I never want it to end."

"You and Sasuke have been dating for a week, and you're acting like you're married to him."

"Are you trying to say something?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm just saying, maybe, you should back off a bit with the whole, 'dreaming of this moment' and 'never want it to end' stuff. I get that you like him, but he's your teammate. It could cause problems."

"You're just jealous because I got Sasuke and you didn't. He _loves_ me. He said so the night we got together. Besides, we won't be teammates for long. When Naruto left, Team 7 was unofficially dissolved." Sakura explained, still glaring at me.

Wait a second… Shikamaru said that Sasuke was acting strange, and he knew it had to do with Naruto. I remember him mentioning it while we were being stalked by anbu, so it must've been important for him to risk raising suspicion.

"He told you that he loves you?"

"Yeah."

"Sasuke, the dark, brooding, person who never shows any emotion? You're telling me that he just admitted it like that?"

"Of course he did! He cared about me enough to tell me the things he wouldn't tell anyone else. Sasuke found someone he cared about and he trusts them. Is that so hard to believe?"

I could tell she was getting mad at me, but I couldn't stop myself from fighting her on this.

"What do you mean, 'things he wouldn't tell anyone else?' And yes, it's pretty hard to believe that the one person he could actually trust would be his stalker and a girl who's been obsessed with him since they were kids!"

"You were just as bad as me! You can't say anything!"

I took a deep breath.

"Ok, I'll admit that I was interested in Sasuke, too-"

"He was all you would think about! It wasn't just interest!"

"-but that was before all of this happened. I still don't know what happened with Naruto, and Sasuke is the only one who actually does, so I'm still cautious with him! And now you're dating him, and basically saying that you want to be with him forever. You're still one of my friends, even if you don't think of me like that, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

She stopped trying to interrupt, and her eyes softened a bit.

"That's nice of you, but I can handle myself. Sasuke told me what happened, and it wasn't his fault. Naruto wanted to prove his power by killing Sasuke, and he barely got away from Naruto. I know it's hard to believe, but Naruto's turned against us." When she was done talking, she walked away from me.

Just then, I remembered the Anbu. They'd seen the entire exchange between us, and probably heard most of it. Crap.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

"I can't believe that _we_ had to deal with _your_ little friends while you were gone." Deidara muttered, walking up to me. "Anyway, you were gone for longer than you said you'd be! Liar!"

Ignoring the end of what he said, I questioned the first part. "My friends?"

"You don't even apologize? So rude. And yes, two Konoha ninja came here to get you back."

"What? Where are they? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me you'd be gone forever?"

I glared at him, and he sighed before answering.

"They're downstairs. But, before you talk to them, Leader-sama wants to have a word with you."

I nodded and headed towards his room, still confused as to why people came after me.

* * *

(Gaara POV)

Once again, I'm tempted to turn against my village. Konoha is still trying to find Naruto, and the elders of Suna intend on telling them that we harbored him here. They hope to get in Konoha's good graces after the attack. They know that Konoha won't just let them get away with harboring a criminal from their village, though, so theyy want to pass it off as trying to get information from him. For that to work, they need information on him. The council has been trying to get me to tell them everything he told me, but I haven't said anything.

As of now, I have two choices; I can stay in the village and ignore and sell out my friend in order to become Kazekage, or I can leave the village and tell Naruto what's happening.

Naruto is the one person who actually managed to get throughout to me. Without him, I'd still be alone, trying to prove my existence by eradicating others'. I wouldn't even have a goal to achieve if I hadn't heard his, and I don't see a point in betraying him to achieve the dream I adopted from him.

I suppose I've already made my decision.

* * *

Author's note: Liked it? Hated it? Tell me in the reviews, and PLEASE follow and favorite this tory! I need the attention! Tell me if there are any typos, and let me know if I've written any unbelievably unrealistic scenes.

I know that I keep writing short chapters, but I promise that the next one will be at least 2,000 words long. If it's not, I'm sorry that I'm too lazy to be given any responsibilities.

I'm gonna write a few more sentences to make this 1,200 words long. Sharks stole Sherry's sandwich from the salty sand. Allan Anderson allowed artists to draw an alligator against his apartment. Alliteration is awesome.

Song of the day:

One Foot by Fun. It's an amazing song, and I love it more than my evil cat. He hates me.


	14. Decisions

Author's note: I suppose I should update this story, even though I have absolutely no idea what to do here. Wait! I have a plan! Improvisation!

I seriously have no idea why anyone even reads my crazy, nonsensical writing. You all must be on some weird drugs for this to be entertaining… I won't take that back.

As of now, I'm really confused with the pairing. I know that the author wanted this to be ItaNaru, and that I could totally make this SasuNaru. Yes, I know, none of you want that pairing, but it actually makes a lot of sense. I guess I should just stick with the original layout… probably.

Also, nobody hate Kankuro for anything he does in my writing! His character is amazing, and I only did this because of the plot! And to add drama… I'm evil.

I totally own Naruto. That's why I'm here writing this.

* * *

(Kankuro POV)

I woke up to a loud knocking on my door. Groaning, I looked out my window, praying it would be morning, only to see that it was still dark out.

I opened the door, ready to scream at whoever woke me up this late, but never got a chance when they pushed past me and barged into my room. It was… Temari.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned towards me, a worried expression on her face.

"Have you seen Gaara today?"

I paused to think about it… I haven't seen him for almost a week. It's not like it's out of the ordinary, though. He's been taking a lot of solo missions lately, and it's normal not to see him for intervals like this.

"No. Why?"

She bit her lip and started pacing around my room. After about five minutes of this, she turned toward me, opened her mouth to say something, and then _she turned away and started pacing again!_

She repeated this a few times before I got tired of it.

"Ok, look. If you have something to tell me, please do. Otherwise, get out and let me get back sleeping, like I was before you broke interrupted."

She glared at me and sat down on my bed.

"I was only asking because he came to my room a little while ago, and he was acting… strange…

 _"Hey, Gaara. What're you doing here? I asked, rubbing my eyes._

 _"Temari_ _… "_

 _"I'm right here. What…?"_

 _"I just… I'm so sorry."_

 _I furrowed my brow._

 _"What for?"_

 _"Everything."_

 _"What the hell are you on about?"_

 _"I just need you to know… it's not your fault. Tell Kankuro, too. This isn't because of anyone but myself. It's all my choice, okay?"_

 _"Ummm, Gaara? Are you feeling okay?" I reached forward and he backed away._

 _"I'm sorry." He whispered again, turning away from me. He paused, looked over his shoulder, and muttered, "You can't trust anyone." That was the last thing he said before running off._

I don't know what happened, exactly… It was just… not like Gaara."

As much as I would like to brush this off as nothing and go back to bed, that really doesn't sound like Gaara. I should probably find him and talk to him…

"Can you help me find him? I've been looking all over trying to find out what he meant, because I don't think that is was anything good, but I haven't been able to. You know that I wouldn't have come to you unless I really needed help."

I sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'll find him. But I don't need your help. You should go and tell the elders about this while I look."

"No! Gaara told me not to trust anyone! That includes the elders, and everyone else around us! I didn't even want to tell you!"

I turned sharply towards her.

"And what if he's gone back to his old ways? You know that he only changed because he saw the way that Naruto kid was! What if the kid turning his back on Konoha snapped him out of it? You can't honestly be sure that he wasn't saying all of that as a final apology before he wipes everyone out! As much as I hate to say it, he could be manipulating you into helping him kill!"

Her eyes widened a little, and then she got up and walked towards my room door.

"You really think that? You honestly believe that he would just snap back like that? He changed! You saw it! Gaara stopped killing and tried his best to make something good out of his life! And now you're turning on him. His own brother. I knew I shouldn't have told you!" She yelled, opening the door and storming out. Before she could get away, though, I grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"Look, I don't want to believe that he would do any of this. either. I was actually starting to see him as my brother… but you have to face the fact that he easily could've gone back to his old habits. I'm not saying that this is definitely what happened, I'm just trying to point out that it's a possibility."

Temari wrenched free of my grip.

"You shouldn't even see it as a possibility. I'm going to look for my brother." She tried to walk away again, but I couldn't let her.

"No matter what you personally think, I can't let you look go."

If looks could kill, I would be six feet under.

"Are you trying to stop me?" She reached for her fan.

"Will you stop? This is what I'm talking about! You're hysterical! If you try t look for him right now, you could hurt yourself, or somebody else! If I let you leave now, I'll have to do it knowing that you won't be able to find him, and you're risking losing your composure!"

She let go of her fan, but never stopped scowling at me.

"You don't have a choice. Someone needs to look for him, and I can't trust you with it!"

"Then I'll go with you! If we can't trust each other to do this alone, than we'll have to go together."

I suppose she couldn't find a better solution, or that she didn't want to waste precious time arguing, so she agreed and we ran off together, trying to find Gaara.

(Temari POV)

After hours of searching, we found him… just outside of Suna.

"Gaara?" I called.

He turned around, his emotionless mask not betraying anything.

"Temari… you weren't supposed to find me."

"Gaara, what are you doing? Do you have any idea how freaked out I was? After what you said, I thought… I didn't know what to think! I had to go and get Kankuro's help! What the hell is going on with you?" I couldn't stop the questions form pouring out. I wasn't normally this way, but after the things he a=said about it 'not being our fault,' and 'it was his choice,' my mind jumped to some crazy conclusions…

I'm just glad that they're not true.

"I'm leaving the village."

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

From what I can tell, the anbu are gone. For some reason, though, this didn't make me feel any better. They were watching us because we were associated with Naruto, just to make sure that our loyalties remain with Konoha, and they wouldn't just leave for no reason. Either every single anbu happened to get called away for an important mission at once, which I highly doubt, or one of us slipped up.

It's most likely the latter. They've been watching, waiting for one of us to slip up and give something away, and there's no way that all of us kept our composure under pressure.

If someone did reveal something, they've probably been captured already. I don't know how far the council would o to get information out of them, and I'm not sure that I want to. The sad part is, they might not even get any information. No matter how many hour of torture, or how many times they try to get inside their heads, none of us actually have any useful information. The council doesn't know that though, and they could assume that we're hiding it somehow. It would be pointless torment…

I haven't come into contact with any of them since I spoke with Ino, so I don't know if any of them are missing…

If I get caught, I'll be of no use. Even though I should go out with my friends, I know that I need to avoid capture at all costs. As much as I hate it, my best option is to lay low and fake loyalties.

* * *

(Kankuro POV)

"What?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"I can't stay here. I'm sorry."

"Why? The village is starting to appreciate you! The council has even nominated you as a candidate for the kazekage position!"

"Yes, and in return, they want me to sell out my friend. I can't do that."

Next to me Temari stiffened.

"Is this about Naruto?" She asked quietly.

He nodded.

"But why? You don't have to betray anyone! You don't know anything!" I argued.

He looked away from me.

"Right…? You don't know anything about what happened with him, right?"

Gaara stepped towards me and looked me in the eye.

"It wasn't his fault. Things didn't happen the way Konoha would have everyone believe, and Suna won't dare to tell them the truth even if they found it. If I told them the truth, which would involve me betraying the person who saved me, there is no way they'd ever let it see the light of day! I could tell them, if I only cared about myself, which would only result in them trying to keep me quiet and lying about what they found out. You can't honestly tell me that staying would end well."

"Yes, I can! Think about it! Even if you told them what he told you, it wouldn't matter! It's not like they can kill him just by knowing what happened in the past! Even if they knew where he was, and even if they tracked him down, I highly doubt they could hurt him. He was able to take you down. You! When you were bloodthirsty, in a demon form. He would want you to help yourself. If you gave them what they wanted, it would put you in their good graces. You could be one step closer to your goal!"

Gaara looked at me like I was crazy, and Temari seemed a bit confused.

"I only have a goal to reach because of him. And, to be honest, I would rather be of use to him than become kazekage."

"I understand that you're grateful and all, but there's a limit to how far you should go to repay him! Giving up your life goal and run away from your home crosses that line!"

He turned his back on me.

"This has to be done." He started walking away from me.

"Well, then. I'm the one who's sorry." I muttered. Gaara stiffened up and turned to see me unwrapping one of my puppets.

"Don't you dare." Temari's voice rang out from next to me.

"I can't just let him do this!"

"Then I suppose you intend on stopping me?" Gaara asked, sounding… disappointed. Like it'd been expected, but he wanted things to be different.

I wish I could let him got… but I can't let my little brother give up his life. Not without a fight.

* * *

Author's note:

That's all, Folks! I sincerely hope that this isn't copyrighted… It was from Looney Tunes. I didn't steal it.

DeadlySins: Really? You took this long to write a crappy, drawn out chapter that basically just described, in unnecessary detail, ONE SCENE!

Sorry, who are you?

DeadlySins: The intelligent part of your brain. The one that stops you from doing stupid stuff.

Really? Then, where were you when I accidentally stabbed myself in the face? And when I tripped and fell into a wall, _breaking my head open?_ (I actually did both of these things)

DeadlySins: Sometimes, even I can't save you from your own clumsy stupidity. Right now, though, I can tell you that people are gonna be ticked that you wrote one scene, didn't include the main character, and stuck that random scene with Shikamaru in the middle of it all. You didn't tell the reader where he was, or portray his character even slightly right! If anything, you actually have succeeded in making everyone, save the antagonist, the same person!

Okay, you can shut up. I am making an effort here!

Song of the day: "Africa" by Toto.

Show of the day: PSYCHO PASS

Book of the day: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson


	15. I FOUND A BETA and wrote a new chapter

Author's note: So… Yeah. I'm back again. I feel like I should make some pun about how I haven't posted for a year…

Nah.

I will, however, talk about what I want to do with this story. To all of you who don't want it to be SasuNaru, I'm still not sure. I've had conversations with people about which one would work the best with this story, and I still can't quite decide. I mean, can any of you honestly tell me that Naruto wouldn't still try to save Sasuke, even if he's fighting against him? No. No, you cannot.

I feel like there are only a few options, and… I will probably choose one of them: SasuNaru, ItaNaru, ShikaNaru, Nagato and Naruto, or no pairing. If there is any other pairing that you honestly think would work with this fic, please let me know an I will consider it as an option. The original author had theistic set as ItaNaru, and I'm really sorry if you're mad at me for wanting to change it, but I feel like there are other pairings that could help the plot and provide a unique twist. Sorry.

I still don't own Naruto. Do I even need to put this here? I don't understand why.

* * *

(Kiba POV)

What the hell am I supposed to do here? I mean, with everything that's going on, who can I trust? As much as I want to trust Naruto, he's the one who's not in the village right now. Sasuke is the one who stayed with us, so… what does that say about all of this?

I wish that I could say, without any doubt in my mind, that Naruto would never betray us, but I just can't. I mean, he was keeping a major secret about himself form us. Did he not trust us enough to tell us? Was it forbidden? It's just so unlike him to keep anything a secret. It makes me wonder how much more we could've missed.

I just wish I knew more. If other people seemed to have sided with one of them, it would be safe to assume that I could trust them, too. I know for sure that Ino doesn't trust Sasuke, and Sakura is the exact opposite, but I have no idea about anyone else. Shikamaru hasn't made an appearance in days, but I'm assuming that he'll wait until he knows more to decide who he can trust. I guess I should do the same. I haven't seen much of the others, just a few glances of them here and there.

Iruka and Kakashi were declared missing nin, though. I'm pretty sure that they left to find Naruto. There's no other reason for it. All of us noticed when they were gone, though. We hadn't seen them for weeks, and when we asked the other sensei, they just told us that they were looking for them. I find it kinda hard to believe that it took a week to notice that they were gone, though. I'd like to think that I would notice if one of my friends went missing…

Come to think of it, I haven't seen Neji all week.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

That was… unexpected.

Pein didn't yell at me, or attack me, or even lecture me. All he really did was tell me where the copy nin was, which probably means Kakashi, and glare at me. I think he wanted to say more, but decided against it for some reason.

I'm just glad he didn't try to kill me, though. I guess he's not as bad as Itachi…(Author's boredom note: Ha! I almost died writing that line!)

Just as I was about to open the door Pein directed me to, a loud banging noise rang from the other side of the door, followed by a familiar voice.

"I knew you were lying! Naruto would never involve himself with people like you! When I get out of here, you're dead!"

I froze. That was… Iruka? Why was he here?

I practically ripped the door off of its hinges, and tried to walk in, only to be tackled. When I looked up, I saw the surprised face of Iruka.

"N-Naruto?" He seemed very hesitant to speak, and was visibly paling at my appearance. "What are you wearing?"

Oh, yeah. The cloak.

"Iruka, you already know why he's wearing it." Kakashi walked out of the room, too, moving forward and pulling Iruka off of me.

"I need to hear him say it. Naruto, tell me why you're wearing the akatsuki cloak." Iruka lost his hesitant demeanor and shook Kakashi off of him.

"I… "

"Tell me." He stepped closer to me, and I instinctively stepped back. Iruka was acting a little strange… Thankfully, Kakashi noticed.

"Okay, Iruka, I think maybe you need to calm down. You're scaring him."

Iruka seemed to snap out of it as soon as he looked me in the eye, and then snap right back into it.

"Your eyes… they're… you're…"

I really didn't want to hear this right now.

"W-What happened to you?" He finally managed. Kakashi was physically restraining him now, and all I wanted to do was walk away front this… but I know that I can't.

I can't just do that again. I ran away form Konoha, I ran away from the council, and I ran away from Sasuke and everyone else I knew. I can't run away from this, too. This might be all I have. If these two left the village to look for me, even if they were ordered, to, I should at least give them what they want.

"I joined them." I managed. When they remained silent, I continued. "The Akatsuki. I joined the Akatsuki. I really don't know what to tell you. I can't say that had no other choice because, quite frankly, I had other options. I could've stayed in Suna. I could've returned to Konoha and tried to explain the situation. Hell, I could've wondered the lands like Jiraiya. But I didn't. I chose this. And I don't really know why, so please don't ask." They still didn't say anything, so I looked up at them.

Kakashi's face didn't betray any of his emotions, and Iruka seemed like he wanted me to say more. Instead, I turned away from them.

"If you want to leave, go ahead. I won't try to keep you here. Just don't try to attack anyone again, or I won't take your side."

"Naruto, wait. What happened in Konoha? The council said that… that you… They told everyone that you attacked Sasuke using the Kyuubi."

"That's not even remotely true. He attacked me in order to prove his power, or something like that. You can believe what you want, though." As much as wanted to tell them everything, and as much as I would love for them to stay here with me, I know that they would be better off in Konoha. I could still see them, sometimes… I just can't have them here right now.

I tried walking away, only to be stopped, turned around and grabbed by the shoulders by a crazed Iruka.

"You're not lying, are you? Please tell me that you are not lying. I came all this way because I was so sure that you would never do anything like that… I'm sure, aren't I? I thought I was, until I saw the cloak. You just look so… so… different. I can't imagine you as one of them."

"I'm not, and I never want to be; however, that doesn't change the fact that you guys can't stay here. You need to go back to Konoha."

"Well, I guess we have something to tell you, now." Kakashi said with a nervous chuckle. "We, umm… ran away from Konoha to find you, and they may have labeled us as missing nins."

* * *

(Gaara POV)

I can't do this. Kankuro knows that he can't beat me in a fight, so he's probably trying to stall until some guards realize that we're missing and come looking. I won't let him though.

There's only one problem is this; it worth it to do as I'm told but get someone I care about into trouble, or ignore what I know that the person I care about would want me to do so that I can save him? The fact that my brother is involved only complicates the situation more, and I know that I only have a few seconds to decide before he attacks…

* * *

Author's note: I'm sorry. This chapter was a bit half baked, if I'm honest.

DeadlySins: Yeah, it was.

For those of you who are unaware of how completely insane I am, this is what I'd like to think of as the intelligent part of my brain. Yes, I do need medical help. Why do I call it DeadlySins? Well, I really got into the Seven Deadly Sins anime, and this is the only way to calm my crazed obsessive fangirl side.

DeadlySins: You do realize that half of the people reading this are reporting you to the authorities, right? I mean, come on! You managed to come up with some alternate personality, and now you're writing things from its point of view!

Well, I kindly invite you to castrate a lamb with your teeth. That is my all time favorite thing to say to anyone ever, and I stole it from the would you rather game.

DeadlySins: You cheap piece of trash.

Shaddup! It's been hard for me. I just found a beta reader, and now I'm sending them all of the chapters for this story and waiting for them to scream at me for my terrible writing!

Song of the day: "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

Show of the day: Pandora Hearts

Quote of the day: "If I die, I want my son to know the dealio. The dealio of life." I don't Really know why, but this was unbelievably funny to me. It was from The Office.

DeadlySins:… American internet trash.


	16. I GO SLEEP!

Author's note: I know that my notes have been taking up about 500 words of every chapter, so, while it's amusing to watch me talk to myself, I'll be cutting them down a bit. I know; it's horrible. You all love my randomness so much, and you're all gonna miss it. But I've made my decision! It's too late now! I've also decided that, just maybe, I should try to update more often. I'll try to have a new chapter at least once a year. I know. You're all very impressed.

Also, I'm aware that my portrayal of the characters has kinda sucked so far, but at least i writ in propr grammer

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

(Sasuke POV)

A shrill noise from behind me told me that Sakura was close.

She ran up to me and stood in front of me with her head down before yanking me close to her and clinging to my chest. As much as I wanted to push her away from me, I refrained; I need her loyalty, after all.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" I asked.

Instead of answering, she began uncontrollably sobbing into my chest. After a few minutes of wetting my shirt, she managed to utter a few words.

"Sasuke, do you love me?"

(Sakura POV)

I had to ask him. Everything Ino said... it's been getting to me more and more as I try to ignore it, and I can't let it affect me any longer. At first, I didn't want to do this, because it's unfair for me to test him like this, but I need to know.

Ino had a point; Sasuke's not one to openly show emotion. As much as I would like to think that I'm the exception for him, I can't stop myself from feeling like he's using me as a container for his emotions. After something like this, he would need something to use to express his emotions, and I don't want him to feel like we have to be together for him to confide in me. I want him to like me for me. I would love to keep him close to me like this forever, but I don't think I'd be able to stand it if it wasn't real.

"Of course I do. How many times do I have to tell you? Sakura Haruno, I love you."

My heart skipped a beat when he said this, but... I can't trust him.

"How can you say that?" My voiced cracked.

He seemed confused for a second, but he answered nonetheless.

"Because it's true. It's one of the only things that I honestly know to be true, the only thing that I can trust."

I backed up and turned away from him, not wanting to look at him.

"Sasuke... I love you. I've known that for a long time, and I doubt that this will ever change. I just need to know how you can say that you love me as more than a friend when we've only been more than friends for an unbearably short amount of time. If you can say that you love me so easily, than you don't actually love me; you love the idea of being with me. We haven't been together for long enough to know whether or not we can stay together like this, but you can just call forth the words effortlessly. I've been dreaming of having you almost my entire life, and I know that I'll love any and every side of you, but how can you?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for his response.

I heard his footsteps before I felt his fingers brush against mine, and my eyes shot open.

"I know that I love you because I've been dreaming of these moments with you, too. I love everything about you, and nothing will ever change that. Everything you've done in the time that we've known each other, every action, every word; I loved it. You lit up my world every time I saw you, though I guess I hid it well. Your intelligence rivals Shikamaru's, and your beauty surpasses all the beauty in this world. I couldn't stop myself from falling under your spell. You've captured me completely, and I never want you to let me go." He laced our fingers together. "When you doubt these feelings, I can't stop myself from telling you the way I feel. I would do anything to convince you that I'm telling you the truth."

I gripped his hand tightly and pursed my lips.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you do that. Ino just got into my head. I won't doubt you again."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I hid my feelings for so long, I led you to believe that I didn't have any for you, and now jealous words can manifest and come between us."

"No! I don't want them to come between us, but... Ino just seemed so sure. She didn't seem jealous, and she didn't really seem like she wanted to be with you instead of me like she usually is. She kept talking about how she didn't trust you, and that she thought that there was more to what happened with Naruto. I shouldn't have let her get to me."

"Don't worry. You were only making sure that you weren't being taken advantage of. I'm glad that you did that. It shows me that you're still the person I fell in love with. I'm just curios as to what lies Ino must've come up with to shake you this badly." He inquired, sounding curious.

"She just said that you were acting a little out of character, and that it's not like you to so easily trust me. She said she was trying to protect me, but I don't think I trust her."

Sasuke stiffened a bit, and his grip on my hand tightened to an almost painful degree.

"Sasuke? Can you loosen your grip a little?" I pulled my wrist away from him as soon as he let go.

"Sorry. I just can't believe that she'd go that far just to break us apart."

I nodded and sighed. "That's the way things have been a lot, lately." I whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Just... things have been different since Naruto disappeared. People haven't been acting like themselves, and I don't know who I can trust anymore."

"I know what you mean. I never thought that Naruto would... I never thought that people would turn out to be the way that they did. I think everyone's true colors are starting to show. I can't trust anyone other than you. You're the only one that I can trust."

(Sasuke POV)

Once again, my own words sickened me, but Sakura seemed to melt at my last sentence. She pulled me close to her again and pressed her lips to mine, and I had to stop myself from gagging. When she pulled away, she had a light blush on her cheeks, and she ran off without another word. I wiped my lips off and scowled, immediately remembering what she said about Ino. I knew that the other rookies wouldn't believe my story, and I can tell that Ino wouldn't ever suspect me under normal circumstances; like Sakura, she's way too blinded by her 'love' for me. I think it's safe to assume that at least two of the rookies that I haven't taken care of are looking into what happened with Naruto. There isn't anything for them to find, but they might mess up my plans if they raise suspicions in the village.

If anyone would be working with Ino, it would be one of her teammates. she would most likely enlist Shikamaru's help rather than Chouji's, though, just to be safe, I should look into the entire team.

* * *

(Neji POV... hehe... sorry?)

Absolutely disgraceful... I failed them. I failed him. He helped me when I needed it most, and when he needed me, I failed to protect him. Right now, I hope I do die.

(third person ^-^ *totally sane*)

The pool of blood spread across the room slowly as the figure on the ceased all movement, the steady rise and fall of his chest no longer present.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. I've been having the same nightmare for three days now, and I know that it has something to do with Kyuubi. I can't remember exactly what happens, but I can tell that it's the same. There's always fire, and I can hear his voice telling me something that I always make myself forget. I don't really understand why he has to ruin things even now, when he and I are no longer separate beings, but I guess old habits die hard.

All I ever really remember when I wake up, aside from the fire, is that whatever he told me made me completely and totally give up. I didn't want to move, I didn't want to breathe, and I could only wish for my existence to be erased. I never wanted to be conscious. I never wanted to feel. Everything I'd ever experienced in my life could never compare to this feeling. It was complete and total hopelessness and isolation.

It's something that I never want to experience for real. I have the strangest feeling, though... like this isn't just a dream.

* * *

Author's note: Okay. Gotta keep it short. If you don't like my weird time-skipping tendencies, you're gonna hate the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy. Yes, I'm evil. I hurt Neji.

DeadlySins: Just shut up and go to bed! You don't even need an author's note here!


	17. Options and Choices

Author's Note: So… I'm bored of actual author's notes. I, instead, have a ton of crappy puns for you.

A book fell and hit me the other day. I only have myshelf to blame.

When I get naked in the bathroom, the shower usually gets turned on.

I got hit with a soda can the other day. Luckily, it was a soft drink.

I would tell you a chemistry joke, but I probably wouldn't get a reaction.

What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator.

Once you've seen one shopping center, you've seen the mall.

What do you call someone with no body and a nose? Nobody knows.

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I dragged my exhausted body out of bed. It had been another restless night for me. The nightmares were bad, but when I couldn't sleep and actually started thinking about everything that's happened... That made me wish for the nightmares again.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, my jaw dropped to the floor.

Right in front of me, making pancakes in the akatsuki kitchen, was Iruka-sensei. Beside him stood Kakashi donned in the Akatsuki robes, helping him cook.

"Good morning, Naruto! Do you want breakfast?"

Deidara just scoffed while he sat at the table. "Didn't ask me if I wanted any, un. Rude." He muttered.

"I... don't... understand..." I got the words out one by one, forcing myself to form the words.

"Oh... well, I decided that it wan't right for you to order your former sensei around, so when you said that we couldn't stay here... I became a member of akatsuki. It's also been settled that Iruka will stay here, though he doesn't want to act as a member of the organization. Seriously, though, do you want breakfast?"

"How... When... I can't..." They both just stood there, looking amused as I struggled to form a sentence. "Why would you do that?" I finally managed.

"Well, we had nowhere else to go, and we knew that we couldn't just leave you here unsupervised." Iruka answered, smiling slightly. "You'd end up accidentally destroying a village."

I just stared at them incredulously before turning and walking away, shock still clearly written on my face.

I could hear Kakashi's last sentence. "So I guess that's a 'no' to breakfast, than." I made my way back to my room, preparing to curl up in my bed and not move for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Iruka caught up with me and blocked my bedroom door.

I tried to get past him without having to touch him, but that didn't seem possible.

"Would you mind letting me into my room?"

"Naruto, I need to know that you're okay with this."

"With what? Dragging the two people I respect most down to hell with me?"

"You're not dragging us anywhere, Naruto. We chose this. After you stormed out on us last time, Kakashi and I had a long conversation. We talked about Konoha, your situation, our choices, and how we should proceed with our lives. We left Konoha to find you, yes, but it's not like we're betraying our beliefs because of you. All that you did was show us Konoha's true colors. We're doing this to help you, though you might not want it, and you can't stop us form trying to protect someone we love. It might not be ideal, but we have a chance at happiness here." He finished his speech by pulling me into his arms and holding me close.

After standing there in the warmth of his arms fro what must've been eternity, he finally pulled back and ran back down to the kitchen, yelling a, "My food's getting cold!" over his shoulder.

I smiled softly at his retreating back before turning to see a figure standing behind me. Itachi stood leaning against the wall and stared at me. It dawned on me that he'd probably seen the entire exchange.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop." I muttered angrily before storming into my room and slamming the door shut behind me.

* * *

(Gaara POV)

When I saw that Kankuro was about to attack, I accepted the fact that I'd have to fight him. I wasn't going to let him control my life, and this was my decision to make. I want to help my friend, and he needs to accept that I chose to do this. It's not like I was being forced into doing this.

He moved Crow forward, and I was prepared to block his attack... until an extremely strong gust of wind sent it flying back. Temari had jumped in front of me and protected me from his attack.

"Gaara, I'll hold him off! You go!"

I stared at her for a minute, completely shocked, before smiling at her softly. I could see her hands shaking as she tried to glare at Kankuro. She was clearly scared to do this, but she was doing it for me anyway. It was... heartwarming.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of here!" She yelled, meeting my gaze.

"Thank you." I whispered, turning and running away from their fight.

She actually cares about me. I guess I never really thought about it, but Temari always acted semi-close to me. She would ask me to do things for her because she was my 'big sister'. And now she's helping me. Someone's actually trying to help me. And it involves going against Kankuro, who she should've sided with. She wouldn't get into any trouble for helping him drag me back there than she will for letting me get away. I feel... guilty. This is guilt. She's going to get in trouble because she helped me, and I didn't even think to take her with me. We could've worked together to take Kankuro down quickly, and then we could've left together. She wouldn't have gotten in trouble, and Kankuro wouldn't be blamed because he was trying to take on both of us.

It's too late for me to go back now, if the explosions and shouts behind me are anything to go by.

I guess the only thing I can do now is try to find Naruto.

* * *

(Ino POV)

I don't know what's going on anymore. Yesterday, they released that Neji died. The cause of death was supposedly a heart attack brought about by the 'emotionally traumatizing' events that happened recently, namely the person who helped him being chased out of the village. When we told Shikamaru, he seemed to get really angry. I haven't seen him since, and it seems like he's avoiding everyone.

It's obvious that Neji didn't die of a heart attack. They didn't show us the body, and he was immediately cremated 'to keep the clan's secrets hidden'. It's sick that they would do that to a child.

I walked up to Shikamaru's house, performing the ritual I'd started when we found out about Neji. This time, however, Shikamaru answered instead of his father. He dragged me into his house and up into his room.

"What are you-"

"Shut up and listen to me for once. This is important."

Normally, I would've gotten angry at him for telling me to shut up, but I could see the desperation in his eyes.

"Ino, Neji didn't die of a heart attack. He was killed by Konoha." I opened my mouth to say something, but Shikamaru put a hand over my mouth. "Let me finish. That would only happen for one of two reasons, based on the timing of his death and the time he disappeared. They either thought that he knew something about Naruto's whereabouts or they wanted information on the rookies who were trying to find out more about the situation with Naruto. Whichever one it was, we're in danger. Everyone who helped search for information on the incident is at risk. To have killed Neji off this soon, they had to have already gotten the information they wanted. If they wanted to know who was digging into Naruto's disappearance, they found out and they're coming for us. If they wanted to know where Naruto went, Neji would've told them how he knew, which would no doubt involve our investigation; after all, that's the only way he could've found that out. All of this alone is bad enough. Our own village will be trying to silence us. But it means that someone is working against us. Either someone betrayed us and turned Neji in or someone outside of our group somehow found out that Neji was looking into these things. We have an unknown enemy working with a known powerful enemy, which means that we have just about no chance at surviving this. The only way that we could make it through this alive would be if they couldn't get the information form Neji."

"If they couldn't get the information, why would they kill him instead of trying different methods of extracting the information?"

"Other than torture? And I was getting to that. You seriously think that if torture didn't work, they would try something else and give him the chance to tell everyone what happened? Besides, they needed a plausible cause of death, and if they waited too long it would look suspicious that he died of a heart attack from an old heartbreak. Even if magically they didn't get the information they wanted, we still have an unknown enemy who knew that Neji was looking into Naruto. We can only pray that he only knew about Neji and not about all of us, but there's no way of knowing. As I said before we don't have a high chance of survival."

I stared at him for a minute, letting his words sink in.

"So... what do we do, then?"

He sighed and looked at me with what looked like pity. "There's nothing we can do. We have to just sit and hope to god that we survive tomorrow."


	18. On The Edge

...

...

...

PLEASE don't kill me

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

"We can't just sit around and wait! Shikamaru, we need to organize another meeting! We need to warn everyone to watch their back!"

I sighed. Could she not see it?

"Assuming they don't already know about everything we've been up to, us meeting would only get their attention. And that low chance is our only option."

"Alright, but if the chance is low, than what's the harm in meeting? If they already know, then one more meeting in which we tell them to hide or run for their lives will only make the situation better! And if they don't know and it does somehow grab their attention, we'll at least have a bit of time to escape before they catch us!"

"Ino, no!"

"Come on! This is our best chance at survival! It's sure a hell of a lot better than, 'wait around to see if they'll kill us'!"

I glared at her for a second. There's only one way that could work, and even then, it's still really risky.

I sighed. Loudly.

"Fine, you banshee. Jesus, you're persistent. The only way this can work is if we do it in a public setting, to make it look casual. We would have to invite all of the rookies, too. Not just the ones on our side, or else it would look suspicious. Then, we would either have to find a way to communicate it to those on our side without tipping the others off to what we're doing or somehow get all of those who aren't in our group to leave, which would also look suspicious. This is seriously risky, though."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I swear you won't regret this! And I can tell you've thought about this option, too. You know it's important, or I wouldn't have bugged you this much!"

"Really? I could have sworn you just like bugging me." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

* * *

(Itachi POV)

Why? Why does he care so much? He cared enough to talk to me of salvation. He cared enough to think of his senseis first rather than the fact that he had someone here with him. And he cared enough about my brother to completely lose control of his physical form over him.

I don't understand.

And I don't understand how I manage to forget my wits completely around him. All my plans and facades fade to nothing when he's here. It's aggravating, and not much actually aggravates me.

How can you lose yourself so completely in a person you barely know?

"Hey, Itachi?" I heard him calling my name, but I didn't want to answer. I'd left the base without leaving a trace of my path behind, so I have no idea how he found me.

"I guess you're not responding to me, then. Listen, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for lashing out at you earlier. I just... I don't know how to deal with this or, really, anything involving my emotional state."

I still didn't say anything. Maybe if I don't respond, he'll continue.

While I silently wait for him to get tired of the silence, I return to taking in the scenery. I found this place shortly after I joined. Things were just starting to take a strain on me, and I needed to get away.

So I ran. I ran and I ran until I reached this cliff. It overlooks the ocean, and a fall from where I'm standing would be fatal. Something about it always calmed me down. Normally I don't allow anyone else to arrive here. I sense their chakra signature miles away, and I intercept them before they can take away the one thing I have.

I couldn't bring myself to stop him from finding this place. He seems like he belongs here, in an odd way.

"You really don't want to talk, do you? I can't blame you. It's beautiful here. Sorry if I'm destroying your silence. I just... I don't want to let you think I'd stay mad over something like that. Seriously, I've just never really had many people to look up to. There's Ayame and her father, Iruka, Kakashi, and... there's someone else I met who I thought I could look up to, but... she wasn't what I thought she was. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I try not to, but I have a lot of trouble trusting people, and I don't want you to interpret my natural mistrust for a personal grudge."

"Why would I think it was personal grudge?"

"Well... I don't want you thinking I hate you for what you did to Sasuke. Granted, it was wrong of you to do, and I can't just act like you're a perfect guy, but you've been punished enough. You've been suffering in guilt and hopelessness ever since it happened, and, honestly, that punishment more than fits the crime. You clearly regret your actions, and you won't be forgetting about it anytime soon. So I honestly say that now you deserve a chance at salvation, and I figured you might think I'd still be mad at you about that. Sorry. I shouldn't jump to conclusions about what you're thinking."

I let us fall into silence again. He shifted uncomfortably, and I knew he wanted me to respond. How am I supposed to respond to that?

"Naruto... I know you mean well, but I don't deserve salvation. _I killed my family. I emotionally and mentally tortured my little brother._ That's not something that can just be forgotten about. I deserve every second of suffering and agony. No one who does what I did should be allowed to be saved."

This time, he's the one who let it go quiet. He didn't say a word.

About an hour went by before he did anything.

It was an hour before I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me. He... embraced me?

He was holding me close and nuzzling into my chest. I... I don't...

"You don't get it, do you? All you're doing is proving more and more that you're worth saving. You regret your actions. You see that they were wrong. That's what matters. How can you not see that? You went with the judgement of those around you and afterwards, you saw that it was wrong. You did what you felt was necessary to save lives. You did it with good intentions!"

"Killing with good intentions does't mean the killer goes free. They'd still be executed."

"But you saw the flaw in it! The only reason we kill killers is because they are still considered a threat! They're considered unstable! I know that you just follow orders. You're the furthest thing from a threat that there is."

He pulled me even closer. Away from the edge of the cliff, almost as if he was desperately trying to protect me.

Then the strangest thing happened. I felt my arms wrapping around him. I could feel his breathing and his heartbeat... it was comforting. My instincts were right. He fit right in here.

"How did you find me here?" I had to ask.

He shrugged in my arms. "Just picked a direction to run off in and wound up here."

He found me by chance?

...

I held him tighter. Thank god for chance.

* * *

(Ino POV, several days later)

So... We were all invited out for ramen at Naruto's old favorite stand. How Shikamaru managed to think that this wouldn't get people's attention, I have no idea. It's not like he sent out random letters to all of the remaining rookies or anything.

Though I suppose all he said was that he wanted us all to meet up for a friendly gathering in remembrance of Neji.

I showed up at the ramen stand to find everyone else already there, including the *ahem* lovely couple Sakura and Sasuke.

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late. I was busy writing in my journal. I think there was something sticking out in it. I ended up pricking my finger and getting blood on it."

Shikamaru told me to casually drop hints to the others about what this was about. I hope Sasuke didn't think it was suspicious.

"Not to be rude, Ino, but we don't really want to hear your life story. Don't worry! We're not mad at you or anything." Sakura piped up.

"Oh, and Sakura, I wanna say that I'm sorry for getting upset with you earlier. I guess I was trying too hard to look out for you and making trouble where there wasn't any. It was wrong of me to do that. I se enow that Sasuke didn't do anything against Naruto and I was just holding onto him. But in the end, Sask.'s here and Naruto left."

"It's okay. I know you were looking out for me. I understand."

Choji, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino all gave me a look. They definitely could tell that something was up.

The meal was pretty uneventful. A few of us chatted and talked about trivial details of our lives, but none of it was really important. What was important was what was about to happen, Shikamaru was about to say something that he knew would upset Sakura enough to make her run off, and then I'd tell Sasuke to stay here and that I'd be better at comforting her anyway. Of course, he doesn't trust me in the slightest, so he'll go after her. Shikamaru will find a way to subtly let the others know what's going on in a way that won't let TenTen or the other unsure rookies know. No matter what subtlety Shika used, though, nothing would've gone over Sasuke's head. That dude is way too uptight for an 'innocent victim'.

"Hey, Sakura, not to be rude or anything. but I always thought that you only liked Sasuke for his looks. Now that you have him, are you just gonna move on to the next hot guy you see?" Shikamaru asked in a bored voice, playing with his chopsticks. God, he's a good actor. I could legitimately think he was just being an insensitive jerk.

"W-what? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Shino seemed to have caught on to what was going on, and he joined in. "I wasn't going to say it, but you only ever talked about his looks."

She gaped at them. Choji also seemed to have noticed, or at least he knew that he should play along. Soon, it was like those three had ganged up on her, and she ran away in tears.

"Oh my god. That was so insensitive. Why would you three do that?" I yelled at those three, but they could tell that I didn't mean it.

"I'm going after her. I don't want her to be alone. Sasuke, stay here. I know you might want to go after her, but I need to talk to her alone." I could see him scowl at my last words. Oh yeah. He was definitely gonna come after us.

I ran off in the direction Sakura went.

(Shikamaru POV)

Ino did really well. And thank god for Choji and Shino. Without them, I probably wouldn't have been able to pull ff making Sakura run off. sasuke left almost immediately after Ino, and TenTen glared at us before calling us dicks and running off to check on Sakura.

That went way better than I expected. I'm glad Ino made me do this.

"So, Lee, what do you think of this whole Naruto fiasco?" I casually asked him. He was the only one left who's stance on the matter we were still unaware of.

"I... I want to bring him back! I know it may not sound like a good idea, but I refuse to turn my back on him, and I will prove to him that he can trust me!"

"Good. Then I can say this in front of you. I can't risk telling you more because was of right now, there are anbu watching our every move, but we're not safe. Guys, we're seriously in some deep shit here. I'm not sure we'll be able to make it through. I risked a lot making this meeting happen, and it's because it's gotten bad enough that me warning you is a necessity."

Hinata, Choji, Shino, and Kiba all looked grim, and Lee looked confused.

Before I could explain, though, Shino threw a kunai that nearly took my face off. It went right past me and was caught by a tan, feminine hand. Suddenly, a chakra signature revealed itself, and we were met face to face with TenTen.

I visibly paled. We're screwed. She'll tell Sasuke, and he'll tell the council, and our death warrants will have been signed.

"Calm it, Shikamaru. I'm not telling him anything. Trust me, I'm on your side." That's all she said before tossing the kunai she'd had to catch back behind her. An anbu caught it and immediately charged her. Before we knew what was happening, the entire ramen stand was flooded by armed anbu. there was no way we could win. We'd either die or surrender. I think we've got a better chance at surviving if we surrender.

"GUYS! Don't attack them! Just surrender!" I yelled. TenTen looked at me like I was crazy. She was in the process of trying to kill one of them. "Trust me. Please." I don't know how confident I sounded, especially since I didn't even trust me, but they listened, albeit hesitantly. We all let ourselves be taken in.

God, I hope I did the right thing.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

He's tragic. He's suffering and tragedy personified. I don't know why I did it. I spent about an hour debating whether or not him killing me was worth me hugging him, but in the end, I just said 'Fuck it' and went for it.

Eventually... he hugged me back. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm suppose to be here. And I think it's because I lied. I didn't just choose a random direction. I felt like I should come this way. It was just this odd feeling, like I could finally be free if I went this way.

And now... this is all too weird for me. I've never been this close to another person before, especially not for this long. We've just sorta been lying down together here, at the edge of a cliff, watching the sun set. It's pitch black outside right now and I feel like, for once I could actually sleep. If I try to go back to the base, I might not be able to sleep. If I fall asleep here, though... I'll be completely vulnerable.

That thought left my mind as quickly as it came.

He's got no reason to kill me, and if he wanted me dead, I would be already. There's no harm in drifting off here... If I wake up in hell, there's no harm done.

I faded in and out of consciousness and I briefly remembered being lifted and carried... it felt so warm.


	19. Yawn

A/N: I feel like you guys don't even bother to read these anymore, **I wrote as context for what I would do next as if people were actually looking at it. (I totally don't expect people to read it. Definitely not.** shut up, Deadly)

Ugh, Reader! I need you! Right now! Take me! Please-Agh!- I can't take it any more! Please fuck me, reader! *elongated moan of your name* My slutty little hole(use your imagination, babe) is open and waiting for you to fill it. Please!

Whelp, my boredom has run its course. I don't own Naruto.

* * *

(Shikamaru POV)

The last thing I remember is fading out of consciousness as I saw all the other rookies, excluding Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino, fall to the ground as well. Upon waking up, I find myself on a cold stone floor, completely unable to see in the darkness.

From what I can tell, I'm in a dark room. I felt around me, trying to grasp at anything. The second I found something that wasn't stone, I immediately noted that it was wet with a warm and sticky liquid...

I groaned at what I assumed was a bleeding body.

"Hello? Is someone else here?" Someone across the room whisper-screamed. Damn it.

"I'm here, Ino. Are you hurt?"

"Shikamaru! I'm not hurt. Jesus, I had no idea who was here."

I heard more groaning, probably Ino's voice waking the others up.

"Where the hell are we?" That was a very pissed off Kiba.

"I woke up right before you. How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Shut up, you two. God... Lemme just try something." There was a tearing noise, followed by a screech from Kiba and an annoyed groan from Shino.

Suddenly, there was light across the room. Chino's jacket and Kiba's hoodie were burning in the middle of the room, but that's not what everyone was staring at. Inge let out a gasp before burying her head in my shoulder. Right next to me was a Neji... bleeding out on the stone floor.

TenTen screamed and ran over to him, kneeling beside him and sighing in relief at the groan he let out at being moved.

"He's still alive. Thank god. Ino, give me the bandages you wrap around your legs."

She had no energy left to argue and immediately followed her orders. TenTen grabbed the flaming clothes, ignoring the heat clearly scorching her skin, and held it so the flames licked his wounds, sterilizing them the best they could. Thank god TenTen can stay calm right now.

While those two tended to Neji, I searched for a way to keep this fire lit. Cloth doesn't burn forever. I groaned when I saw it... The floor outside of the cell we were in had wooden floorboards. I audibly sighed. This is gonna hurt.

I pried up on of the floorboards, hissing as splinters dug into my skin and my nails broke and bled. My hands shook a little from the pain, but I ignored it and brought the small amount of wood over to the barely burning jackets. Fortunately, I managed to get it lit before the flames died. Neji's injuries were lightly burned now, but at least the bleeding stopped and they won't get infected. I let out a sigh again, taking in the condition of TenTen's hands. They were badly burned, and she didn't even seem to care as she wrapped Neji up. When she was finished, I tore off my sleeves and made them into strips the best I could.

"What are you-"

"Shut up and let me take care of this." I grabbed TenTen's hands, noting the wince she let out, and used my used-to-be-sleeves as passable bandages.

"Thanks, Shikamaru."

"No problem. You all okay?"

Everyone awake nodded, which included TenTen, Ino, Kiba, Shino, and Lee, who'd just been staring in shock at Neji the whole time. I honestly don't blame the dude. He looks like he's been tortured(and he probably has).

"Yeah. We're okay. When's Hinata going to wake up?" Ino asked, paler than usual.

"Soon, I hope. I'm pretty sure that they tortured Neji to get him to give information on us."

"You think, genius? Who else could've done this under the noses of his clan?" TenTen asked with a huff.

I sighed yet again. "Women." I muttered. "Anyway, Ino, what happened to you after you went after Sakura? You weren't with us before, so I'm assuming someone knocked you out and brought you here too."

Ino's eyes widened for a second. "Yeah. It was Sasuke. The bastard turned on me when the anbu said they wanted to detain me."

Sighing has to be a hobby at this point.

Just as I was about to share my theory on the matter, I heard door loudly opening and slamming shut. Several elite anbu walked forward, but something was off about them... They looked different from anbu. A man followed behind them with bandages going across half of his face.

"Who the hell's Quasimodo?" Kiba asked.

Said man did not look amused. Our cell door was unlocked and the man stood at the entrance.

"Greetings, genin of Konoha. My name is Danzo, not that you'll be seeing me again, if you're lucky. I plan on getting straight to the point because, frankly, your time is my time, and I refuse to waste my time."

I immediately didn't like this man.

"You all have been looking into the case of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, correct?"

Ino was about to answer, but he gave her no time to. "I already know you have been. We extracted the information. Don't waste your time with it. We know Uzumaki was innocent."

My eyes widened in realization and suddenly, my loyalty to Konoha completely shattered.

"Then why would you do this?! Why the hell would you torture Neji and bother kidnapping us?" TenTen practically yelled.

"Quiet. I owe you no explanation, girl." All of us glared at him until he stepped aside and walked back towards the prison exit.

"You're all free to go, provided that we hear no more of this and you accept the fabricated alibis for your behavior and the faked death of Neji Hyuuga. And if you don't... well, suffice to say, a group of children don't quite hold the respect or sway of the council."

I stood up and walked up to the bars.

"And if I refuse?"

He looked back at me almost angrily. "If you refuse to leave, we'll silence you and come up with a cover."

"Ha. You really think you can cover up killing so many clan heirs? It's not possible. If we don't leave, you'll have to compromise with us."

"I don't negotiate with children. And do you really think I would be clumsy enough as to neglect planning for one of you to be intelligent enough to challenge me? For weeks, we've been falsely reporting to your parents that they should keep an eye on the people their children associate themselves with. Who do you think approved of the anbu watching you?"

Once again, I felt my world falling around me. My parents ordered anbu to watch me because they thought I'd do something dangerous... Fuck.

"I could go with any story I choose. You all left the village in the night expecting to have a fun night and were attacked by bandits... One of you poisoned the rest in a group suicide attempt... Hell, we could use a yamanaka to control you all and have you kill yourselves in front of the entire village. Do you wish for me to continue?"

"No... Please don't... But why would you be willing to lose so many future clan heads? And what's the point of getting rid of Naruto? Jinchuuriki are a power to villages."

"You think that the clan head's dying wipes out the rest of the clan? There will always be more with your abilities. As for the jinchuuriki... that demon needs to die. It's easier to achieve with a bounty on his head. Now I suggest you take my offer before you convince me to go with my second choice."

I slid down the bars in defeat. Someone walked past me, and I looked up to see Shino carrying Hinata. "Shine, w-what?"

"We lost today. Accept it and move on." He said walking past a smirking Danzo.

I sighed... again...

TenTen tapped my shoulder, pointing to Neji and silently asking for help carrying him. I hesitantly complied, taking Shino's advice. The others followed behind us mindlessly.

When we walked out, the last thread of my motivation snapped. We were right next to the Hyuuga compound, and it wasn't by chance. This had been our meeting place. They'd known the entire time. They had to have bases everywhere, and they knew this is where we'd need to go.

After I brought Neji in, ignoring the knowing pitying looks of the other clan members, I went straight home. My parents freaked out a little, telling me the anbu had seen some suspicious behavior from me and detained me. I numbly brushed off their concern and went to my room.

I was done with it all.


	20. Fuck it

A/N: FUCK IT ALL

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I woke up in not my room surrounded by not my scent with not my blankets on me. And I was magically next to the usually glaring elder Uchiha. Ah, that's right. Last night... the cliff... hugs and not being murdered for them.

I noticed that said Uchiha was not only staring directly at me, but he had his Sharingan deactivated. All I could do was stare.

"You're really pretty, ya know?" I whispered.

He just smiled a little in response.

"As fun as it's been waiting for you to wake up, I do have to get up eventually." Itachi murmured.

It was then that I noticed my arms were wrapped around him, holding him there and sufficiently trapping him in bed. Not that I minded. He was warm and I liked it. But I was just slightly embarrassed by the fact that he'd been waiting for me to wake up so he could get free.

"You could've woken me. Or, I don't know, Shoved me out of your bed."

"I probably couldn't have shoved you out without severely injuring you even if I had tried."

"My, my, you didn't want to injure me? Aren't you sweet?" I asked, leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek before jumping out of his bed and running to his door, legitimately expecting an attack this time.

(Itachi POV, from the beginning)

I saw the sapphire eyes flutter open and watched as he tiredly took in his surroundings. I internally melt as I realize I'd be more than content to bask in the light of those awakening eyes every morning.

"You're really pretty, ya know?"

I smiled a little, pleasantly surprised with his declaration as my dedication to vocation fades.

"As fun as it's been waiting for you to wake up," I sincerely mean the words, "I do have to get up eventually." A light blush dusted his tan whiskered cheeks.

"You could've woken me. Or, I don know, shoved me out of your bed."

I didn't want to. "I probably couldn't have shoved you out without severely injuring you even if I had tried."

He smiled a real, blinding smile.

"My, my, you didn't want to injure me? Aren't you sweet?" He asked, leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek before jumping away from me as though trying to escape and sprinting out. I think he just made this day impossible to ruin.

* * *

(Naruto POV)

I sprinted down the hall and nearly tackled Kakashi. Whoops. He caught me and looked at me grimly  
"I've been looking for you. Where have you been all morning?"

"Uhm..."

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. Pain wants to talk to you. It's urgent, so please get there as soon as possible."

I nodded and headed off immediately, this morning all but forgotten.

Kakashi doesn't ever look that grim. About anything.

The second I arrived, the door slammed behind me and Konan yanked me forward.

"You're not allowed to leave the base anymore, understand?"

"Whoa, Konan, what-"

"And at all times, we need you to be with another member of Akatsuki. Even though, you're inside the base, you're still not going to be alone. Ever. Tell me you understand, Naruto."

"Uhm, I don't understand. What the hell is going on?"

"Konoha put out a bounty on you. A hundred billion yen(A/N *COUGH COUGH* around 900 million US dollars *COUGH* Why the actual literal kinky fuck did I make it yen?)."

"A... hundred... billion?" I asked. They actually put a bounty on me.

"And they don't want you back. The bounty is for your body, not 'alive or dead', just 'dead'. Damn that village... I won't let them have you, okay? Please just promise you'll stay with someone else at all times and stay in the base. I've sent Kakazu and Hidan on a 6 month long mission on threat of death if he comes back before the mission's over. Hopefully, this all will have blown over by then."

"Okay. I promise listen to your rules."

"Thank you. I'll watch you first until Pein tells the others."

I nodded at her. This was gonna be fun.

Now all I can do is lie around and think about the past. Ha.. the highlights have all been recent. Aside form all the betrayal and hatred, I can't say it's been to bad.

I remember all the physical contact I initiated with an assumed heartless murderer and curled into a ball of embarrassment.

I'm so done with it all.


End file.
